Monday, February 05, 2007

Philippine Forces Kill Abu Sayyaf Leader

The leader of Abu Sayyaf, an Islamic extremist group in the Philippines, has been killed by Philippine soldiers. In the article, Death of a Bandit in The Economist, the author comments what consequences this could have the country.


"[T]he Philippines armed forces announced on January 20th that they had proof that Khaddafy Janjalani, the leader of the Abu Sayyaf, was dead."
"The Abu Sayyaf is a bunch of vicious armed Muslims whom America regards as Islamic terrorists."
"The 300 or so gunmen that make up the Abu Sayyaf ... have carried out numerous murders, kidnappings, robberies and bomb attacks since the early 1990s, including the firebombing of a ferry in 2004 that killed more than 110 people."
"The group, which is already splintered, may now split further into gangs of simple bandits."
"But even as bandits, the Abu Sayyaf would be a political threat."
"The government does not wish to see lawless parts of the southern Philippines become a refuge for such groups, not least because they could encourage further militancy among Philippine Muslims."
"So the fight against the Abu Sayyaf will drag on to the bitter end, however far off that may be."

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