November 18, 2004

• Ubiquitous

  ‘Unhappy with the recent election? ‘Tired of Western society? There are recruiters who are happy to take volunteers for the eradication of Christians and Westerners in the beautiful islands of Southern Philippines. If you join today, you can become one of the many who enjoy guerilla-style training in tropical surroundings. Don’t forget your malathione! After all, in the tropics, malaria is more common than AIDS!

  Terrorism in the Philippines by Dirk J. Barreveld Editorial Reviews . . . Abu Sayyaf, the name means Father of the Sword, was founded in 1991 by Abdurazzak Janjalani, a young Filipino mujahideen, upon his return from the war in Afghanistan. Bin Laden and Al Qa’ida, but also WTC bomber Ramzi Yousef, were instrumental in the creation of Abu Sayyaf. Time and again Abu Sayyaf made international headlines for taking hostages, cashing in millions of dollars in ransom money or by beheading their victims. They call themselves freedom fighters for an Islamic State in the Philippines, but they leave everywhere a trail of blood from innocent victims, which makes them ruthless criminals. This book looks at the root causes of the problem. How did these young men, all belonging to the fierce Tausug tribe, a tribe where ritual suicide is a custom, become international terrorists. Militant Islam by Zachary Abuza Editorial Reviews The recent deadly bomb attacks against Indonesian targets frequented by Westerners make this a timely and important book. Abuza is assistant professor of international politics at Simmons College, and he has traveled widely in Southeast Asia. He disturbingly asserts that al-Qaeda has successfully expanded its influence and military striking power into this volatile region, which could have dire consequences for Western interests. Concentrating primarily on the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia, Abuza shows how al-Qaeda has capitalized on lax security, corrupt bureaucracies, and legitimate grievances of Islamic groups to bond with or sometimes completely absorb indigenous Islamic movements in these nations. Many of the homegrown Islamic militants fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan, and now thousands of young men are being educated in Islamic schools across the Middle East, where they are inculcated with a Wahhabi brand of puritanical Islam that is fanatically anti-Western. Chilling and essential reading for both professionals and general readers concerned with the ongoing struggle against terrorism. Jay Freeman Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Seeds of Terror by Maria Ressa Editorial Reviews While the Middle East receives much scrutiny as the home of extremist Muslim terrorists, Maria Ressa offers a closer look at Southeast Asia as a hotspot where Al-Qaeda forces and other organizations are continually growing larger and more powerful. Ressa, the CNN bureau chief in Jakarta, has been based in the region for most of her career and provides a highly unsettling inside perspective to the people and events of that region. Islamist terrorist networks are, by nature, shadowy and complex, especially to Westerners who might have difficulty understanding the cultures from which they spring, but Ressa adroitly explains the various people and factions in ways that are highly compelling and deeply disturbing. Although Osama bin Laden, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, and other Middle Eastern Al-Qaeda figures are featured here, Ressa also recalls personal interviews she conducted with Abu Bakar Ba’Asyir, the so-called “Asian Osama bin Laden,” who denies any connection with terrorist organizations and acts despite voluminous evidence to the contrary. And personal experiences such as that are what make Seeds of Terror such an engrossing work of non-fiction. Tensions are consistently high in the region, especially for a western woman trying to learn the truth about what various groups are up to, and one comes to admire Ressa’s persistence in trying to get the story even while repeatedly putting herself in mortal danger. Highlights included an explanation of how a failed Al-Qaeda plot in Singapore gave way to a successful attack in Bali, the career trajectory of an Al-Qaeda operative whose training begins in adolescence, and a look at the very real threat of ninja attacks. There are numerous books that provide investigations of terrorist networks but Ressa’s unique point of view combined with how relatively under-publicized the Southeast Asian terrorist threat has been make this a must-read for anyone trying to understand how terrorism grows and spreads. –John Moe

  Did I mention that I love living in the United States? I cannot say how much I appreciate the sacrifices made by the men and women of the United States Armed Forces.

  The other day, I thanked a serviceman, and he thanked me for what I do each day as well. I am really happy that I spent my medical school years training at the Veterans Administration Hospital because I got to meet a lot of the soldiers who fought in Philippines in World War II. There are few left who understand what happened in Asia in the early 1900′s. It’s nice to talk with those who remember.

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