06-10-2017, 10:21 PM
*** 11-Jun-17 World View -- US forces join Philippines forces fighting Abu Sayyaf and Maute Islamist terrorists
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** US special forces join Philippine military fighting Islamist terrorists in Marawi
****
![[Image: g170610b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g170610b.jpg)
Fire rages at several houses following airstrikes by Philippine Air Force bombers on May 27 (AP)
US special forces are providing assistance to Philippine troops
fighting the radical Islamist Maute rebel group in the southern city
of Marawi. The help comes after a growing crisis in Marawi, on the
island of Mindanao, and one day after the bloodiest day of battle so
far, when 30 Philippine soldiers were killed and 40 wounded on Friday
in a 14-hour battle. Dozens more soldiers were killed on Saturday, as
fighting continued.
The drama began on Tuesday May 23 with a botched operation in Marawi
City by the Philippine armed forces to capture terrorist leader
Isnilon Hapilon, the leader of the Islamist terror group Abu Sayyaf,
which has recently pledged allegiance to the so-called Islamic State
(IS or ISIS or ISIL or Daesh).
Instead of quickly capturing Hapilon, the soldiers were caught
completely by surprise when they were met by dozens of terrorists in
the Maute terror group, who were backed up by foreign fighters from
Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. The army now believes that it
unwittingly interrupted a plan by the Maute group to take over the
city and sack it.
At first, president Rodrigo R. Duterte said that the operation would
be concluded quickly, and that there was no ISIS involvement. On
Wednesday, the next day, Duterte declared martial law, saying that the
island of Mindanao was under attack by ISIS. The army sent in
reinforcements, as thousands of residents of Marawi fled from the
city. On Wednesday morning, the army said that no airstrikes would be
required. However, airstrikes began on Wednesday afternoon.
As the days went by, Duterte declared one deadline after another to
recapture Marawi, and so far none of those deadlines has been met.
In the attack, some 500 militants seized large parts of the city while
burning buildings, cutting power and communications lines and taking
hostages. The fighting has so far left dozens of security forces, 20
civilians and hundreds of militant fighters dead. The Maute militants
still control parts of the central city and have as many as 2,000
hostages, according to the Philippine military.
There is currently house to house fighting going on. Air strikes have
flattened the city. The former city of 200,000 has been virtually
emptied, although many people are trapped with no food or water.
Duterte's next deadline for recapture of the city is Monday, June 12.
American special forces troops are not taking part in the ground
fighting. They are providing intelligence and logistics support to
the Philippine army. Inquirer (Philippines) and Rappler (Philippines) and USA Today and ABS-CBN (Philippines, 25-May) and AFP
Related Articles
****
**** History of Abu Sayyaf and Maute Group in the Philippines
****
A year ago, Philippines president Rodrigo R. Duterte said he wanted
nothing more to do with the United States, and that he would
henceforth work with China. I wrote at the time that this vow would
never last because the Philippine people would not let it. The United
States has about a 90% favorability rating, while China has more like
a 50% favorability rating. Duterte has had to back off from his vow
time after time, and now with the growing Islamist insurgency, he's
decided that he needs American troops after all, at least in an
advisory capacity.
The radical Islamist Abu Sayyaf Group was founded in 1991 and named
after a mujahideen commander in Afghanistan. It pledged allegiance to
Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. US forces were deployed to the area in
2002 to help the Philippines military deal with Abu Sayyaf, although
the terror group continued. It became known for a series of
kidnappings of foreigners for ransom and for beheading their captives.
In 2014, the group split into rival factions over the decision of its
leader Isnilon Hapilon to terminate its allegiance to al-Qaeda, and to
swear allegiance to ISIS.
The Maute Group was formed in 2012 by Abdullah Maute (aka Abu Hasan)
and his brother Omar Maute. They began terror acts in 2013, and began
a relationship with Abu Sayyaf in 2015. Today, Abu Sayyaf and the
Mautes have a geographic reach that jihadist groups never had before.
Today, Abu Sayyaf and the Maute group are able to recruit new fighters
from the entire region -- not just the Philippines, but in the large
Muslim populations in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Furthermore, hundreds of jihadists fighters from the region have gone
to Syria to fight Syria's president Bashar al-Assad for his genocidal
acts towards Syria's Sunni population. With ISIS seemingly near
defeat in Syria's Raqqa and Iraq's Mosul, it's believed that many of
these fighters will return to the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia,
and that terrorist actions are going to grow significantly.
The army has claimed that the Maute brothers were killed on Friday in
an airstrike, but this has yet to be confirmed. Reuters and BBC (31-May) and Philippine Star (29-May)
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Philippines, Abu Sayyaf, Maute Group,
Marawi, Mindanao, Isnilon Hapilon, Rodrigo R. Duterte,
Islamic State / of Iraq and Syria/Sham/the Levant, IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh,
Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- US special forces join Philippine military fighting Islamist terrorists in Marawi
- History of Abu Sayyaf and Maute Group in the Philippines
****
**** US special forces join Philippine military fighting Islamist terrorists in Marawi
****
Fire rages at several houses following airstrikes by Philippine Air Force bombers on May 27 (AP)
US special forces are providing assistance to Philippine troops
fighting the radical Islamist Maute rebel group in the southern city
of Marawi. The help comes after a growing crisis in Marawi, on the
island of Mindanao, and one day after the bloodiest day of battle so
far, when 30 Philippine soldiers were killed and 40 wounded on Friday
in a 14-hour battle. Dozens more soldiers were killed on Saturday, as
fighting continued.
The drama began on Tuesday May 23 with a botched operation in Marawi
City by the Philippine armed forces to capture terrorist leader
Isnilon Hapilon, the leader of the Islamist terror group Abu Sayyaf,
which has recently pledged allegiance to the so-called Islamic State
(IS or ISIS or ISIL or Daesh).
Instead of quickly capturing Hapilon, the soldiers were caught
completely by surprise when they were met by dozens of terrorists in
the Maute terror group, who were backed up by foreign fighters from
Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. The army now believes that it
unwittingly interrupted a plan by the Maute group to take over the
city and sack it.
At first, president Rodrigo R. Duterte said that the operation would
be concluded quickly, and that there was no ISIS involvement. On
Wednesday, the next day, Duterte declared martial law, saying that the
island of Mindanao was under attack by ISIS. The army sent in
reinforcements, as thousands of residents of Marawi fled from the
city. On Wednesday morning, the army said that no airstrikes would be
required. However, airstrikes began on Wednesday afternoon.
As the days went by, Duterte declared one deadline after another to
recapture Marawi, and so far none of those deadlines has been met.
In the attack, some 500 militants seized large parts of the city while
burning buildings, cutting power and communications lines and taking
hostages. The fighting has so far left dozens of security forces, 20
civilians and hundreds of militant fighters dead. The Maute militants
still control parts of the central city and have as many as 2,000
hostages, according to the Philippine military.
There is currently house to house fighting going on. Air strikes have
flattened the city. The former city of 200,000 has been virtually
emptied, although many people are trapped with no food or water.
Duterte's next deadline for recapture of the city is Monday, June 12.
American special forces troops are not taking part in the ground
fighting. They are providing intelligence and logistics support to
the Philippine army. Inquirer (Philippines) and Rappler (Philippines) and USA Today and ABS-CBN (Philippines, 25-May) and AFP
Related Articles
****
**** History of Abu Sayyaf and Maute Group in the Philippines
****
A year ago, Philippines president Rodrigo R. Duterte said he wanted
nothing more to do with the United States, and that he would
henceforth work with China. I wrote at the time that this vow would
never last because the Philippine people would not let it. The United
States has about a 90% favorability rating, while China has more like
a 50% favorability rating. Duterte has had to back off from his vow
time after time, and now with the growing Islamist insurgency, he's
decided that he needs American troops after all, at least in an
advisory capacity.
The radical Islamist Abu Sayyaf Group was founded in 1991 and named
after a mujahideen commander in Afghanistan. It pledged allegiance to
Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. US forces were deployed to the area in
2002 to help the Philippines military deal with Abu Sayyaf, although
the terror group continued. It became known for a series of
kidnappings of foreigners for ransom and for beheading their captives.
In 2014, the group split into rival factions over the decision of its
leader Isnilon Hapilon to terminate its allegiance to al-Qaeda, and to
swear allegiance to ISIS.
The Maute Group was formed in 2012 by Abdullah Maute (aka Abu Hasan)
and his brother Omar Maute. They began terror acts in 2013, and began
a relationship with Abu Sayyaf in 2015. Today, Abu Sayyaf and the
Mautes have a geographic reach that jihadist groups never had before.
Today, Abu Sayyaf and the Maute group are able to recruit new fighters
from the entire region -- not just the Philippines, but in the large
Muslim populations in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Furthermore, hundreds of jihadists fighters from the region have gone
to Syria to fight Syria's president Bashar al-Assad for his genocidal
acts towards Syria's Sunni population. With ISIS seemingly near
defeat in Syria's Raqqa and Iraq's Mosul, it's believed that many of
these fighters will return to the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia,
and that terrorist actions are going to grow significantly.
The army has claimed that the Maute brothers were killed on Friday in
an airstrike, but this has yet to be confirmed. Reuters and BBC (31-May) and Philippine Star (29-May)
Related Articles
- Philippines leader Rodrigo Duterte in comic dance with China (23-Oct-2016)
- Philippines president Duterte orders military to occupy South China Sea islands (07-Apr-2017)
- Philippines humiliates China in harsh Hague Tribunal ruling over South China Sea (13-Jul-2016)
- Would America not defend Israel after all? (08-Sep-2013)
- China snubs Philippines on humanitarian aid, then backs down (15-Nov-2013)
- China's media 'accidentally' claims Philippines as part of China (10-May-2012)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Philippines, Abu Sayyaf, Maute Group,
Marawi, Mindanao, Isnilon Hapilon, Rodrigo R. Duterte,
Islamic State / of Iraq and Syria/Sham/the Levant, IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh,
Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
