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Friday, December 02, 2005
3 Sayyaf leaders added to US terror list
By Al Jacinto
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The United States Treasury added 3 senior leaders of the al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group to its list of terrorists, a move welcomed Thursday by the Philippine military.
The local terrorists--Jainal Antel Sali Jr., Radulan Sahiron and Isnilon Hapilon--were included in the list Wednesday by the US Department of Treasury for their roles in brutal acts of terrorism, involving kidnapping of American and foreign citizens and bombing of civilian targets in the Philippines.
"The Abu Sayyaf group instills terror throughout Southeast Asia through kidnappings, bombings and brutal killings."
"This action financially isolates senior members of the Abu Sayyaf, who have planned and carried out vicious attacks on Americans, Filipinos and innocent citizens from around the world," said Patrick O'Brien, the Treasury's assistant secretary for terrorist financing and financial crime.
Major General Alexander Yano, the Philippine Army's chief of staff, said the US move is a big boost in the fight against terrorism.
He said Manila will remain a strong ally of the United States in the global war on terror, and praised Washington for providing military training to Filipino soldiers under a security assistance program.
"The Filipino army will always be a strong partner in the fight against terrorism. And we welcome the decision of the US Department of Treasury to designate the trio as senior leaders of the Abu Sayyaf," Yano said.
US and Philippine troops are currently undertaking joint anti-terror trainings in the southern region of Mindanao, where the Abu Sayyaf is actively operating.
Washington ordered a freeze on assets the three Abu Sayyaf leaders may have under US jurisdiction.
The Department of State's Rewards for Justice Campaign has offered to pay up to $90,000 for the capture of Abu Sayyaf members.
The reward is on top of the $200,000 the Department of Defense's US Pacific Command has offered for the arrest of known Abu Sayyaf leaders, including chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo offered as much as P100 million in rewards for the capture, dead or alive, of any senior leaders of the Abu Sayyaf and their lieutenants.
The US tagged Sali, alias Abu Soliman and now the Abu Sayyaf spokesman, as mastermind in the spate of bomb attacks in Zamboanga City since 2002 that killed many civilians, including an American soldier who was participating in a joint anti-terror war games.
Sali was also implicated in the 2001 Dos Palmas resort kidnappings of 17 Filipinos and three US citizens, two of whom were later killed and decapitated.
He was also said to have met with senior Jemaah Islamiya militants suspected of playing a role in the 2002 Bali bombings that killed more than 200 people.
While Sahiron, based in Jolo island, has been linked to the series of terrorism and killings and kidnappings in the southern Philippines.
He was tagged as one of those who raided the Sipadan island resort in Malaysia in 2000 and kidnapped 21 mostly Asian and Western holiday goers, and also numerous attacks on foreign ships and kidnappings of many Indonesian and Malaysian sailors near Jolo.
Sahiron, like Sali, held several senior positions within the Abu Sayyaf group. He was one of 14 members of the group's Majlis Shura or consultative council and acted as an adviser to Janjalani and overall commander of the Abu Sayyaf in Jolo.
Hapilon, meanwhile, was involved in the 2000 kidnapping of US citizen Jeffrey Schilling on Jolo island. He is also Janjalani's top lieutenant and held several positions. (Sun.Star Zamboanga/Sunnex)
(December 2, 2005 issue)
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