The Philippine military says its efforts against militant groups with
ties to major terrorist networks are paying off, thanks to a decade of
U.S.
Armed Forced of the Philippines spokesman Colonel Arnulfo
Burgos says, in addition to providing technical support, the United
States had a major role in intelligence gathering against the group.
Efforts
in building capacity of the Philippines should be recognized because
were it not for continuing capacity-building training provided by the
United States, Philippine law enforcement authorities would not have
enhanced their capacity also to address terrorist threats.
Many
people say support from the United States has helped diminish the Abu
Sayyaf's numbers from about 1,000 at its peak to less than 400.
The
Abu Sayyaf gained notoriety in the 1990's, when it broke away from a
larger Muslim separatist group in the Southern Philippines. They
have carried out kidnappings of foreign nationals, including the 2001
hostage-taking of 20 people at a Philippine resort in which they
beheaded one American and lost another American to gunfire in a rescue
operation.
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