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| Southeast Asia |
| Abu Sayyaf more interested in crime than terrorism |
| 2005-12-28 |
| THEY MAY be regarded as partners in terrorism, but the Indonesia-based extremist network Jemaah Islamiyah does not exactly see the Philippine-based Abu Sayyaf Group as an ideological brother -- but more of an armed band that "lacks discipline and more interested in committing crime." This was how the Royal Malaysian Police painted the relationship between the JI and ASG, which are often pictured in the West as closely-linked warriors waging jihad in the region. In a briefing last week with international journalists in Kuala Lumpur, the RMP top brass suggested that while the JI may have been aiding the ASG in terms of "training," the fraternity has been based more on muscle than on mission. "Looks like there has been some training provided by the JI to the Abu Sayyaf, but then JI members have found that the Abu Sayyaf lacked discipline," said C. Pakianathan, chief of the RMP Special Branch division. "They (ASG) were more interested in committing crime. They did not have a strong ideology although they portray themselves as a very serious organization," he added. Pakianathan also said JI operatives had trained in Camp Abu Bakar, the former stronghold of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front, until it was overrun by government troops during the Estrada administration. "They are having problems, in fact, (with) no fixed training area now," he noted. The officer reported, however, that while the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) "leadership is not favorable to the JI anymore," the "old cooperation" still persists between their low-level members. Also in the briefing, the RMP said Indonesia remains as JI's combat zone, with Jakarta and Bali as its prime targets. But the Malaysian police said JI suicide bombers may already be changing their strategy to adjust to the tighter security environment by choosing "smaller targets with high psychological impact." The JI launches suicide bombing missions using recruits who have "no adverse police records" to minimize the chance of detection, and who have surveyed the target location themselves. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #2 This Malay cop is full of crap! The JI have training camps on Mindanao and are linked to not only the ASG but the MILF. Someone needs to look at the Royal Malay police payrolls. |
| Posted by: 49 pan 2005-12-28 19:05 |
| #1 Hey.. old Mohammed was interested in loot as well. Theft from the kaffirs is quite islamic. One of the rewards for the faithful.. that and slave women for rape... |
| Posted by: john 2005-12-28 13:07 |