AS A MAN SOWETH
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
We must not hope to be mowers,
And to gather the ripe gold ears,
Unless we have first been sowers,
And watered the furrows with tears.
It is not just as we take it,
This mystical world of ours,
Life’s field will yield as we make it,
A harvest of thorns or of flowers.
By MAR-VIC CAGURANGAN
Special to BusinessMirror
HAGATNA, Guam - If Barack Obama becomes the US president, America’s national policies would somehow be influenced by a Filipino: Charmaine Manansala, who has been selected as a senior adviser to the Democratic party candidate.
Manansala is now the Asian-American and Pacific Islander Vote director for the Obama campaign.
"The Obama campaign acknowledges the extraordinary contributions of the nearly 13 million Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders who have helped build a strong and vibrant America," Manansala stated in her message to the Asian-American and Pacific Islander Network.
"We realize that despite the growth of our community, there are challenges [that] we still face. For increasing numbers of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders [AAPI], the American dream is in danger of slipping away," said Manansala, who served as policy adviser and political strategist for then-Guam gubernatorial candidate Robert Underwood in 2006.
"As president, Senator Obama will work with the AAPI community to ensure that all Americans have access to quality, affordable and portable health insurance that will also reduce the linguistic and cultural barriers that limit access to our medical system," she added.
Manansala was born in Manila. Her family moved to Orange County in Los Angeles in 1983 to join her grandparents.
She went to Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, where she majored in biochemistry. She earned her master’s degree in public health at George Washington University in Washington, DC.
Manansala has joined the league of policy analysts and political strategists in the nation’s capital. In 2007, she was on the Filipino Women’s Network’s list of 100 Most Influential Filipinas. In 2001, she was honored by PoliticalCircus.com, as one of the "Top 30 Under 30," which recognizes the most influential Asian-Pacific Americans 30 years and younger in the US.
Prior to her selection as AAPI vote director, Manansala, now based in New Mexico, was the state director for the New Mexico Blue Team, where she was in charge of developing a state plan for political organizers advancing Obama’s candidacy.
Manansala lived in Guam from 2005 to 2006 to lead the campaign strategy for Underwood.
Before her stint in Guam, Manansala served as policy adviser for Speaker Nancy Pelosi from 2003 to 2005.
Agence France-Presse LONDON - The price of oil set a record high above 146 dollars a barrel here on Thursday owing to falling reserves of US crude, simmering tensions over Iran and a weak dollar, traders said. Russian energy giant Gazprom meanwhile forecast that oil would "very soon" hit 250 dollars a barrel. Brent North Sea oil for August delivery surged to a life-time peak of 146.69 dollars a barrel after breaching 146 dollars for the first time earlier on Thursday. New York’s main oil contract, light sweet crude for August delivery, leapt to an all-time pinnacle of 145.85 dollars on Thursday. "Prices rose to set new all-time highs … supported by a decline in US crude oil inventories," said Barclays Capital analyst Kevin Norrish. After hitting new heights, Brent crude stood at 145.13 dollars a barrel in electronic deals, up 87 cents from Wednesday’s close as traders banked profits. New York crude was 28 cents higher at 143.85 dollars. Oil prices, which have doubled in value over the past year, were driven by news that American crude stockpiles fell by 2.0 million barrels to stand at 299.8 million barrels in the week to June 27. The US government’s Energy Information Administration had also revealed on Wednesday that crude inventories were 15.3 percent lower than at the same stage one year ago. "It was the first time inventory fell below the psychologically critical 300-million-barrel threshold since January," said PetroMatrix analyst Olivier Jakob. The latest record-breaking price surge also came after Iranian Oil Minister Gholam Hossein Nozari said that Iran would react fiercely to any military attack against the oil exporter. The OPEC oil exporting group added on Thursday that it would be difficult to replace the crude output of Iran should the country face attack. "If something happened in Iran, it is difficult to replace (Iran’s output of) 4.1 or 4.2 million barrels a day," OPEC secretary general Abdallah el-Badri told the daily newsletter of the World Petroleum Congress in Madrid. There has been a surge in speculation recently that Israel might be planning a military strike against Iran’s nuclear sites. Iran has been locked in a five-year standoff with the West over its nuclear program. Iran claims it is for generating electricity while Western powers fear the development of nuclear weapons. The oil market also found key support from the struggling US currency, which makes dollar-priced commodities cheaper for foreign buyers and tends to encourage demand, analysts said. "We expect that the price of oil will reach 250 dollars per barrel very soon," Gazprom chief executive, Alexei Miller, told journalists Thursday on a visit to energy-rich Azerbaijan. Miller also said he expected Russia’s oil production to level off in the next few years. Analysts say one of the reasons for higher oil prices is that production is failing to catch up with growing global demand. Russia is the world’s second-biggest producer and exporter of oil after Saudi Arabia.
Agence France-Presse HONG KONG - Asian stocks closed mostly up Friday but that failed to dispel much gloom after this year’s share price plunge, with the key Japanese market continuing its longest losing streak in decades. The Tokyo bourse fell 0.21 percent for the 12th consecutive trading day, doing so for the first time since the 1950s as the potential economic damage from soaring oil prices again hit investor sentiment. The Taiwan stock market tumbled more than two percent despite the historic launch of regular direct flights between the island and its rival China for the first time in nearly six decades. Investors in Asia are worried that surging inflation amid high crude oil and food prices will end up slowing economic growth, dimming the prospects for Asian stocks even though they have fallen steeply since their peak last year. Many were looking ahead to the annual summit in Japan next week of the Group of Eight (G8) industrial powers, which is expected to tackle the issue of high oil and food costs. Among other key Asian markets, China and South Korea fell, but Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore ended higher. India rallied more than 2.5 percent despite official figures showing inflation stood at a more than 13-year high of over 11 percent. But the Mumbai bourse overall has tumbled since the start of the year. Investors also continue to worry about the ailing US economy, which is battling to recover from a financial crisis and steep housing market downturn. TOKYO: Japanese share prices slipped for a 12th straight trading day, continuing their longest losing streak in more than five decades on worries about the earnings outlook, dealers said. The Tokyo Stock Exchange’s benchmark Nikkei-225 index dropped 27.51 points or 0.21 percent to end at 13,237.89. The broader Topix index of all first-section shares slipped 0.14 points or 0.01 percent to 1,297.88. The last time the benchmark fell for 12 straight sessions was in April 1954, when it declined for 15 straight trading days. The index has fallen about 1,215 points, or 8.4 percent, over the past 12 sessions. "Japanese shares have become an easy target for selling since they have outperformed other global markets since their lows in March," Yutaka Miura, a senior technical analyst at Shinko Securities, told Dow Jones Newswires. Sumitomo Realty & Development lost 3.3 percent to 2,075 yen and Tokyo Tatemono slid 6.1 percent to 551 yen. Chip shares ended in negative territory. Tokyo Electron declined 1.2 percent to 5,880 yen and Advantest dipped 1.1 percent to 2,195 yen. Mazda Motor advanced 4.6 percent to 550 yen and Nissan Motor edged up 0.8 percent to 866 yen. HONG KONG: Hong Kong share prices closed up 0.9 percent, dealers said. The benchmark Hang Seng Index rose 181.04 points to close at 21,423.82. Turnover was light at 50.16 billion Hong Kong dollars (6.43 billion US). "The Hong Kong market is oversold. Some stocks have fallen quite a lot and are now offering good value for investment," said Ben Kwong, chief operating officer at KGI Asia Ltd. "But the overall momentum is quite limited, reflecting cautious sentiment because of higher oil prices and worries about inflation." Bank ICBC’s rosy earnings forecast helped revive interest in other financial issues. Standard Chartered Bank was 4.2 percent higher at 225.20 Hong Kong dollars. China Merchants Bank gained 2 percent to 22.85. Ping An rose 3.8 percent to 50.75 after the insurer said there is no need to make provisions for its investment in Belgian-Dutch banking and insurance group Fortis. SYDNEY: Australian shares closed up 1.7 percent Friday, dealers said. The benchmark SP/ASX 200 index closed up 83.8 points at 5,082.1 and the broader All Ordinaries gained 76 points to 5,170. Some 1.37 billion shares worth 5.3 billion dollars (5.1 billion US) changed hands. "I think it’s a good sign (that the index recovered)," Macquarie Private Wealth senior private client adviser Marcus Droga told Dow Jones Newswires. "The market is showing signs of not being terminally ill." BHP rose 2.2 percent to 40.70 dollars and Rio Tinto added 3.1 percent to 125.70 dollars. Commonwealth Bank of Australia rose 2.4 percent to 42.33 dollars. Woodside Petroleum fell 2.1 percent to 61.75 dollars. Origin Energy fell 0.8 percent at 16.15 dollars after rejecting a 13.7-billion-dollar hostile takeover bid from Britain’s BG Group Plc. SHANGHAI: Chinese share prices closed down 1.24 percent, dealers said. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index, which covers both A and B shares, closed down 33.64 points at 2,669.89. "Investors are more conservative with the weekend approaching, as China’s authorities tend to launch tightening measures, including rate hikes, during weekends," Jacky Zhang at Capital Securities told Dow Jones Newswires. The Shanghai A-share index lost 1.25 percent to 2,800.11, while the Shenzhen A-share index shed 0.57 percent to 845.62. China Shenhua Energy dropped 8.13 percent to 31.96 yuan. China Petroleum Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) fell 3.19 percent to 9.42 yuan. PetroChina was down 2.24 percent at 14.38 yuan. Meanwhile, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the country’s largest bank, rose 1.05 percent to 4.80 yuan after forecasting over 50 percent growth in first-half net profit. Ping An Insurance (Group) Co. of China edged down 0.94 percent at 40.17 yuan, showing signs of stabilizing after falling steeply in the previous two sessions. TAIPEI: Taiwan shares closed 2.24 percent lower, dealers said. The weighted index fell 165.69 points at 7,228.41 on turnover of 98.25 billion Taiwan dollars (3.23 billion US). The launch of regular direct flights between China and Taiwan for the first time in nearly six decades Friday failed to lift market sentiment. "Inflation fears have further hurt already weak market sentiment. Rising oil prices are pushing up commodity prices here. The public are feeling the pinch," President Securities analyst Steven Huang said. China Airlines fell seven percent to 12.55 dollars and EVA Airways lost the same amount to 12.65. Formosa International Hotels dropped seven percent at 510.00 and Leofoo Development fell 4.12 percent to 19.80. United Microelectronics Corp fell 1.58 percent to 15.55 but Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co gained 0.34 percent to 59.00. SEOUL: South Korean shares closed 1.8 percent lower, dealers said. The KOSPI index ended down 28.60 points at 1,577.94. Trading was 243 million shares worth 4.3 trillion won (4.09 billion dollars). "After seeing hopes for even a technical rebound thwarted so easily, many investors moved to cash in their shareholdings even at a loss," said Lee Kyung-Soo, an analyst at Shinyoung Securities. Samsung Electronics fell 2.7 percent to 616,000 won and Hynix plummeted 6.8 percent to 23,350 won. LG Electronics added 0.4 percent to 115,000 won. SINGAPORE: Singapore share prices closed 0.42 percent higher, dealers said. The blue-chip Straits Times Index closed up 12.09 points at 2,892.54. Volume was a slim 879 million shares worth 913 million Singapore dollars (671 million US). DBS finished two cents higher at 18.68 Singapore dollars. CapitaLand ended up seven cents at 5.79. Singapore Airlines rose 18 cents to 14.10. KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian share prices closed down 1.7 percent, dealers said. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index dropped 19.56 points to 1,134.14. "We are likely to see a technical rebound next week on bargain-hunting," he said Pong Teng Siew, head of research at Jupiter Securities. "But confidence remains fragile and many investors will continue to stay away due to the continuing political uncertainties and concerns over the impact of rising inflation." British American Tobacco slid 3.5 percent to 41.75 ringgit. Sime Darby lost 2.2 percent to 8.75 ringgit. Maybank slipped 0.7 percent to 7.0 ringgit. BANGKOK: Thai shares closed 0.12 percent higher, dealers said. They said trading was lacklustre as many investors stayed on the sidelines amid fears of a slowdown in the global economy driven by high inflation and volatile oil prices. The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) composite index gained 0.88 points to close at 743.03 points, while the blue-chip SET-50 index rose 0.91 points to close at 528.37. JAKARTA: Indonesian shares closed 1.2 percent higher, dealers said. The Jakarta Composite Index rose 28.14 points to 2,314.75. "The rebound in most mining blue-chips improved sentiment here, but swift profit taking by local funds limited gains on the main index," a trader told Dow Jones Newswires. Coal miner Bukit Asam rose 4.9 percent to 16,000 rupiah, and rival Bumi Resources rose 4.9 percent to 7,500. MANILA: Philippine share prices closed 1.3 percent higher, dealers said. The composite index gained 29.37 points to 2,369.21. The all-share index rose 12.50 points to 1,516.49. Gomer Tan of Regina Capital Development Corp. said the rise Friday was "more of a technical rebound." Inflation hit a 14-year high of 11.4 percent in June. Philippine Long Distance Telephone gained 0.6 percent to 2,345 pesos while Ayala Corp. rose 1.96 percent to 260 pesos. WELLINGTON: New Zealand share prices closed 2.05 percent up, dealers said. 7 The NZX-50 gross index rose 63.50 points to close at 3,157.92. "It’s been a good finish to a pretty bad week," said Grant Williamson of Hamilton Hindin Greene. Telecom recovered from 15-year lows to close up 13 cents at 3.41 dollars. Fletcher Building rose 21 cents to 6.42, casino investor Sky City jumped 14 cents to 3.15, and pay television firm Sky TV gained 18 cents to 4.25. MUMBAI: Indian shares closed 2.75 percent higher, dealers said. The benchmark Mumbai 30-share Sensex index rose 359.89 points to 13,454. "Fresh buying emerged despite rising inflation. Investors are beginning to grasp that inflation will remain in double-digits for some time," said Bhaskar Kapadia, partner with brokerage Pyramid Securities.
By ROMEO RANOCO
Reuters
SIBUYAN ISLAND, Philippines - Rescuers halted efforts on Monday night to find nearly 800 people missing from a capsized ferry in the Philippines as darkness fell and large swells prevented divers from drilling holes into the doomed vessel.
Many passengers were feared trapped inside the Princess of Stars after a handful of survivors said people were still onboard when the ship sank off the central island of Sibuyan in waves as big as houses during Saturday’s typhoon.
But officials held little hope of finding people alive in airpockets on the ferry.
"We feel there is no life inside," said Lieutenant-Colonel Edgard Arevalo, a Philippine navy spokesman.
The ship was resting upside down with the tip of its bow above water and its stern resting on the bottom of the sea, easily visible from shore.
The coast guard said divers would cut open the 23,824 metric ton vessel on Tuesday after rescue efforts were halted for the night.
At least 20 new survivors and 15 bodies were found close to Masbate island, at least 70 km away from where the ship sank.
"We are still working on the positive identification of the survivors as well as the fatalities," Captain Gilbert Rueros said.
So far, over 50 people have been found alive and at least 20 have been reported dead out of 864 passengers and crew on board.
Washington was sending a military ship, the USNS Stockham, with helicopters on board, to help with rescue efforts as well as a maritime surveillance aircraft.
Typhoon Fengshen, which weakened to a tropical storm over the South China Sea, pounded the Philippines at the weekend with gusts of up to 195 kph (120 mph).
Aside from the ferry disaster, possibly the worst in the Philippines in over 20 years, at least 155 people were killed, largely by drowning, in a torrent of floods in the south and center of the archipelago, according to the Red Cross.
The sixth typhoon to hit the archipelago badly damaged the country’s already shoddy infrastructure, washing away thousands of homes as well as roads and bridges.
Bloated corpses
Nine male corpses believed to be passengers from the Princess of Stars washed ashore on Masbate island on Monday.
"The bodies were bloated and decomposing. What we did was just to wrap them up and buried them right away," a local mayor told radio.
In the province worst hit by Fengshen, Iloilo, over 200,000 people were forced to evacuate, the Red Cross said.
"At the moment, they appear dazed and confused. We need all the help we can get," said Rolex Suplico, the vice-governor. "This is the worst flooding Iloilo has experienced."
Damage to agriculture and infrastructure in the province was pegged at 1.7 billion pesos ($38 million).
Fengshen is expected to bring heavy rain and winds to Taiwan and southern parts of China in the next few days according to storm tracker website www.tropicalstormrisk.com.
Emotional Catholic Mass
Twenty eight passengers and crew from the passenger ferry survived after drifting for more than 24 hours in a rubber boat.
Jessie Buot swam for his life in a life vest and made it to Sibuyan island around 2-3 km away.
"I tried to be brave because I knew if I had succumbed to my fears, I would have died," the 24-year old farm worker told Reuters.
Philippine transport authorities said on Monday they had grounded the vessels of ferry company Sulpicio Lines for inspection. The company’s ships have been involved in three other major disasters over the past 21 years.
In 1987, the Sulpicio-owned Dona Paz ferry collided with an oil tanker killing more than 4,000 people in the world’s worst peacetime sea tragedy.
Ferry travel in the Philippines, an archipelago of over 7,000 islands, is hazardous due to lax safety standards, old vessels and bad weather, but for many poor people it is the only means of inter-island travel.
Distraught relatives of the 724 passengers and 140 crew screamed at Sulpicio employees while waiting for news in the central city of Cebu, where Princess of Stars was meant to dock.
"You can’t bring our loved ones back. You should be held responsible," one woman told Sulpicio staff.
The company said it would pay 200,000 pesos (about $4,500) compensation for every person who perished in the disaster and would also give some money, as yet unspecified, to survivors.
(Additional reporting by Karen Lema and Rosemarie Francisco; Writing by Carmel Crimmins; Editing by David Fox)
YOU ARE WORTHY
Undying Poems: Dr. Romulo A. Ramirez
Do not undermine your worth
By comparing yourself to others
It is because you are different
And each of us is special…
Do not set your goals
By what other people deem important
Only You know
What is best for you…
Do not take for granted
The things closest to your heart
Cling to them as you would your life
For without them, life is meaningless.
Do not give up
When you still have something to give
Nothing is really over
Until the moment you stop trying.
Do not be afraid to encounter risks
It is by taking chances
That we learn how to be brave.
Do not shut love out of your life
By saying it is impossible to find
The quickest way to receive love is to give love
The fastest way to lose love is hold it too tightly
In addition, the best way to keep love is to give it wings.
Do not dismiss your dreams
To be without dreams
Is to be without hope
To be with out hope
Is to be without purpose.
Do not run through life so fast
That you forget
Not only where you have been
But also where you are going…
Life is not a race
But a journey to be savored
Each step of the way.
By living your life one day at a time,
You live all the days of your life.
The Abu Sayyaf Group (Arabic: جماعة أبو سياف; Jamāʿah Abū Sayyāf, ASG), also known as al-Harakat al-Islamiyya is one of several militant Islamist separatist groups based in and around the southern islands of the Philippines, in Bangsamoro (Jolo, Basilan, and Mindanao) where for almost 30 years various Muslim groups have been engaged in an insurgency for a state, independent of the predominantly Catholic Philippines. The name of the group is derived from the Arabic ابو, abu ("father of") and sayyaf ("Swordsmith[1]"). The group calls itself "Al-Harakat Al-Islamiyya" or the "Islamic Movement". The name Abu Sayyaf was derived from the kunya adopted by Abdurajak Janajalani when he named his oldest son Sayyaf, thereby becoming Abu Sayyaf or the father of Sayyaf. Abdurajak named his son after the Afghan mujahideen commander Rasul Sayyaf who ran the training camp he attended in Afghanistan.
Since its inception in the early 1990s, the group has carried out bombings, kidnappings, assassinations, rapes and extortion in what they describe as their fight for an independent Islamic state in western Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago with the stated goal of creating a pan-Islamic superstate across southeast Asia, spanning from east to west; the island of Mindanao, the Sulu Archipelago, the island of Borneo (Malaysia, Indonesia), the South China Sea, and the Malay Peninsula (Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar).[2] The Abu Sayyaf Group seeks a 13 province autonomous region, free from the predominately Catholic government of the Philippines.[3]
The U.S. Department of State has branded the group a terrorist entity by adding it to the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations.[4]
Abu Sayyaf always pro-claim themselves as mujahideen and freedom fighters but are not provided support by many people in Moroland including Muslim clerics.
Abu Sayyaf is estimated to have a core membership of 200 with an extended membership of over 2000.[5][2]The ASG’s low numbers indicate a lack of support among the local population.
The group was originally not thought to receive funding from outside sources, but intelligence reports from the United States, Indonesia, and Australia have found intermittent ties to the Indonesian Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist group.[6] The Philippine government considers ASG to be allied with Jemaah Islamiyah and notes that initial funding came from al-Qaeda through the brother-in-law of Osama bin Laden, Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, through Islamic charities in the region.[7][8][9][10] Continuing ties to Islamist groups in the Middle East indicate that al-Qaeda may be continuing support.[5][11][12]
The group obtains most of its financing through ransom and extortion. One report estimated its revenues from ransom payments in 2000 alone between $10 and $25 million. According to the State Department, it may also receive funding from radical Islamic benefactors in the Middle East and South Asia. "Libya was a conduit for ransoms paid to Abu Sayyaf and other Filipino Muslim groups…[Libya] also offered money for ‘livelihood projects’ in its role in the 2000 hostage negotiations…this raises the possibility that Libyan money gets channeled to Abu Sayyaf.".[13]
Links between ASG and Al Qaeda are the subject of debate. It is generally believed that the group received funding from Al Qaeda in the early 1990s through Mohammad Jamal Khalifa, a brother-in-law of Osama bin Laden. Al Qaeda collaborator Ramzi Yousef operated in the Philippines in the mid-1990s and reportedly trained Abu Sayyaf fighters. However, there is little information about recent cooperation between Al Qaeda and ASG. Some have claimed that Abu Sayyaf is subordinate to Al Qaeda, but others contend that because of the group’s blatant use of ransom and extortion for profit, a close association between the two is unlikely. The 2002 edition of the U.S. State Department’s Patterns of Global Terrorism does not mention any ties to Al Qaeda.
Though Janjalani’s first recruits were dissidents from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), radical Islamic groups in the Philippines, such as the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the MNLF, deny having links with Abu Sayyaf. Both distance themselves from ASG because of its attacks on civilians and its profiteering. The Philippine military, however, has claimed that elements of both groups provide support to Abu Sayyaf.
In the early 1970s, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) was the main Muslim rebel group fighting in the Basilan and Mindanao region of the southern Philippines.[2]
Abdurajik Abubakar Janjalani, the older brother of Khadaffy Janjalani, had been a teacher from Basilan, who later studied Islamic theology and Arabic in Libya, Syria and Saudi Arabia during the 1980s.[5][7] Abdurajik then went to Afghanistan to fight against the Soviet Union and Afghan Marxist government in the Soviet war in Afghanistan. During that time, he is alleged to have met Osama Bin Laden, and been given $6 million to establish a more Islamic splinter group of the MNLF in the southern Philippines, made up of members of the extant MNLF.[14]
By then, as a political solution in the southern Philippines, ARMM had been created, in 1989.
MNLF had moderated into an established political party, the ARMM. It was established in 1989, full institutionalized by 1996 and which eventually became the ruling party on the southern Philippines island of Mindanao.
When Abdurajik Janjalani returned home to Basilan island in 1990, he gathered radical members of the old MNLF who wanted to resume armed struggle for an independent Islamic state and in 1991 founded Abu Sayyaf Group,[2] named after his own alias, which was Abu Sayyaf.
By 1995 Abu Sayyaf was active in large scale bombings and attacks in the Philippines. It was also associated with Ramzi Yousef the leader of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the 1994 Philippine Airlines Flight 434 bombing, and the foiled 1995 Operation Bojinka) to assassinate Pope John Paul II and blow up eleven airliners in midflight. Abu Sayyaf was further associated with Jemaah Islamiyah (al-Qaeda’s southeast Asia associated branch led by Hambali[14])[5][7]
The organizers of Operation Bojinka, Ramzi Yousef and Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, allegedly took scuba trips to Puerto Galera. The trips may have been a cover for the training of Abu Sayyaf terrorists.
On December 11, 1994 a bomb went off on Philippine Airlines Flight 434, killing a Japanese passenger, but failing in its goal to destroy the plane and kill the rest of the passengers. Abu Sayyaf’s involvement was indicated by a telephone call to authorities announcing, "We are [the] Abu Sayyaf Group. We explode[d] one plane from Cebu." The bomb was Ramzi Yousef’s test run for the bombing of 11 airliners in Operation Bojinka which was aborted after Manila police discovered a chemical fire in Yousef’s apartment on January 6, 1995.
At some point in the early 1990s, the younger brother Khadaffy Janjalani had also joined Abu Sayyaf, as a teenager, and was eventually imprisoned by the Philippine government.
Abu Sayyaf’s first large-scale action was the beachhead assault on the town of Ipil in Mindanao in April 1995. This year also marked the escape of 20 year-old Khadaffy Janjalani from Camp Crame in Manila along with another member named Jovenal Bruno.
On December 18, 1998 the founding older brother Abdurajik Janjalani was killed in a firefight with the Philippine National Police on Basilan Island.[8] He is thought to have been about age 39 at the time of his death.[5] The death of Aburajik Abubakar Janjalani marked a turning point in ASG operations, shifting from its ideological focus to more general kidnappings, murders and robberies, as the younger brother Khadaffy Janjalani then rose to succeed Aburajik.
The 23 year-old Khadaffy Janjalani then took power of one of Abu Sayyaf’s factions in an internecine struggle.[15][8] He then worked to consolidate his power within Abu Sayyaf, causing the group to appear inactive for a period. After Janjalani’s supremacy was secured, Abu Sayyaf began a new tactic, as they proceeded to take hostages.
The group’s motive for kidnapping became more financial and less religious during the period of Khadaffy’s leadership, according to locals in the areas associated with Abu Sayyaf. The hostage money is probably the method of financing of the group.[14]
The group expanded its operations to Malaysia in 2000 when it abducted foreigners from two different resorts. This action was condemned by many parties including Muslim government such as Libyan and Malaysia.
It was also responsible for the kidnapping and murder of more than 30 foreigners and Christian clerics and lay-workers, including Martin and Gracia Burnham.[16][17]
A commander named Abu Sabaya was killed in 2002 while trying to evade forces.[18]
Galib Andang, aka Commander Robot, was captured in Sulu in December 2003.[19][20][16][8]
A blast at a military base on Jolo island on February 18, 2006 was blamed on Abu Sayyaf by Brig. General Alexander Aleo, an Army officer.[21]
Khadaffy Janjalani was indicted in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia for his alleged involvement in terrorist acts, including hostage taking by Abu Sayyaf and murder, against United States nationals and other foreign nationals in and around the Republic of the Philippines.[22]
Consequently on February 24, 2006, Janjalani was among six fugitives in the second and most recent group of indicted fugitives to be added to the FBI Most Wanted Terrorists list along with two fellow members of Abu Sayyaf, Isnilon Totoni Hapilon and Jainal Antel Sali, Jr.[23][24]
On December 13, 2006, it was reported that Abu Sayyaf may have been planning attacks during the ASEAN summit in the Philippines. The group was reported to have been training alongside Jemaah Islamiyah militants which have links to Al-Qeada. The plot was reported to have involved detonating a car bomb in the town of Cebu where the summit is scheduled to take place.[25]
On December 27, 2006, the Philippine military reported that Janjalani’s remains had been recovered near Patikul, on Jolo Island, southern Philippines, and that DNA tests had been ordered to confirm the discovery. He was allegedly shot in the neck in an encounter with government troops on September on Luba Hills, Patikul town, Sulu Island.
Jainal Antel Sali, Jr. (aka Abu Solaiman) was killed by government troops on January 16, 2007.
On Wednesday, May 3, 2000, Abu Sayyaf guerillas armed with M-16s and rocket launchers[citation needed] beached their high-speed boats on Sipadan, Malaysia’s renowned dive resort island, and abducted 21 hostages. As CDNN issued daily reports linking the Abu Sayyaf rebels to Al Qaeda terrorists and warning dive travelers to avoid the area, Malaysia’s Ministry of Tourism, the dive industry and local Sipadan dive operators colluded to downplay the threat to tourists.
The rebels have freed two Malaysians early because they are Muslims and are demanding $2.4 million for the release of the other hostages which include at least 10 foreigners.
According to Philippine military sources, the hostages are being held in Jolo, a town located in a remote province named Sulu in the southern Philippines where the Abu Sayyaf is based. The area is less than one hour away from Sipadan by high-speed boat.
Meanwhile, the rebels are fighting Philippine government troops who are trying to free 27 other hostages kidnapped five weeks ago. The rebels have beheaded two of the adult hostages and are threatening to kill five more if government troops do not withdraw
The Abu Sayyaf has demanded the release of various Muslim terrorists including Ramzi Yousef, who was convicted of masterminding the bombing the World Trade Center in 1993.
Few days after the abduction, Malaysia police chief, Norian Mai, stated that several Malaysians have been arrested on charges of helping gunmen.
More than 12 locals have been detained and police stated that more might be arrested as their investigation continues into the kidnapping of five tourists and resort staff.
Police stated that some of the arrested were former employees of the Sipadan resort who have strong ties with the Philippine fishing community, however, Malaysian tourism industry officials have denied the reports.
Jeffrey Schilling, an American citizen and Muslim convert, was held by Abu Sayyaf for 8 months after being captured whilst visiting a terrorist camp with his wife, Ivy Osani. Abu Sayyaf demanded a $10 million dollar ransom for his release, but Schilling escaped after more than 7 months and was picked up by the Philippine Marines Corps on the 12 April 2001.[26][27]
Many commentators have been critical of Schilling, who had reportedly walked into the camp. Mr. Schilling claims to have been invited, through a relative of his wife who was a member of Abu Sayyaf.[28]
On May 27, 2001, an Abu Sayyaf raid kidnapped about 20 people from Dos Palmas, an expensive resort in Honda Bay, to the north of Puerto Princesa City on the island of Palawan, which had been "considered completely safe". The most "valuable" of the hostages were three Americans - Martin and Gracia Burnham (a missionary couple) and Guillermo Sobera (a Peruvian-American tourist who was later killed by Abu Sayyaf) for whom Abu Sayyaf demanded $1 million in ransom.[29] The hostages and hostage-takers then returned hundreds of miles back across the Sulu Sea to Abu Sayyaf’s home turf on Mindanao island.[30]
According to author Mark Bowden, the head of the raid was Aldam Tilao, who called himself Abu Sabaya ("Bearer of Captives"), and who, out of character for an Islamic leader, wore "a single hoop earring and Oakley sunglasses."
According to Gracia Burnham, Tilao told her husband "to identify his kidnappers" to authorities "as `the Osama bin Laden Group,` but Burnham was unfamiliar with that name and stuck with" Abu Sayyaf. After returning to Mindanao, Abu Sayyaf operatives conducted numerous raids, "including one at a coconut plantation called Golden Harvest; they took about 15 people captive there and later used bolo knives to hack the heads off two men. The number of hostages waxed and waned as some were ransomed and released, new ones were taken, and others were killed.".[30]
On 7 June 2002, about a year after the raid, Philippine army troops attempted a rescue operation in which two of the three hostages held were killed - Martin Burnham and a Filipino nurse Ediborah Yap - the remaining hostage wounded, and the hostage takers escaped.
In July 2004, Gracia Burnham testified at a trial of eight Abu Sayyaf member and identified six out of the suspects as being her erstwhile captors, including o Alhamzer Limbong alias Kosovo, Abdul Azan Diamla, Abu Khari Moctar, Bas Ishmael, Alzen Jandul and Dazid Baize.
"The eight suspects sat silently during her three-hour testimony, separated from her by a wooden grill. They face the death sentence if found guilty of kidnapping for ransom. The trial began this year and is not expected to end for several months."[31]
Alhamzer Limbong was later killed in a prison uprising. [32]
Gracia Burnham has caused controversy since returning to the US, by claiming that Philippine military officials were colluding with her captors. She made the claim in a book about her experiences called In the Presence of My Enemies. In it she complains the Armed Forces of the Philippines "didn’t pursue us … "As time went on, we noticed that they never pursued us."
| Location | near Manila, Philippines |
| Date | February 27, 2004 (UTC +8) |
| Attack type | TNT time bomb |
| Deaths | 116 |
| Perpetrator(s) | Abu Sayyaf (in particular, Redendo Cain Dellosa, Khadaffy Janjalani and Abu Sulaiman) |
Superferry 14 was a large ferry destroyed by a bomb on February 27, 2004, killing 116 people in the Philippines‘ worst terrorist attack, and the world’s deadliest terrorist attack at sea.
On that day, the 10,192 ton ferry was sailing out of Manila, with about 900 passengers and crew. A television set filled with 8 lb (4 kg) of TNT had been placed on board. 90 minutes out of port, the bomb exploded. 63 people were killed immediately, and 53 were missing and presumed dead.
Despite claims from terrorist groups, the blast was initially thought to have been an accident, caused by a gas explosion. But after divers righted the ferry five months after it sunk, they found evidence of a bomb blast. Also, a man named Redendo Cain Dellosa admitted to planting the bomb on board for the Abu Sayyaf guerrilla group.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced on October 11, 2004, that investigators had concluded the explosion was caused by a bomb. She said six suspects had been arrested in connection with the bombing and that the masterminds, Khadaffy Janjalani and Abu Sulaiman, were still at large. It was believed that Abu Sayyaf bombed Superferry 14 because the company that owned it, WG&A, did not comply with an Abu Sayyaf letter demanding protection money.[citation needed]
| 2000s: | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
| External links — References | ||||||||||
Most of Abu Sayyaf victims have been Filipinos. However, the group has also targeted Western foreigners for kidnapping because of the larger potential ransom payments, and Americans for ideological reasons. Abu Sayyaf kidnapped an American Bible translator on a southern Philippine island in 1993. In 2000, Abu Sayyaf captured an American Muslim visiting Jolo Island and demanded that the United States release Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman and Ramzi Yousef, who were jailed for their involvement in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. “We have been trying hard to get an American because they may think we are afraid of them,” a spokesman for Abu Sayyaf said. “We want to fight the American people.”
"Such acts of violence have nothing to do with Islam as a religion. The Muslim religion promotes peace, brotherhood and justice, the committee quoted the Grand Sheik of Al-Azhar, Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy, as saying in a statement. "It is better to make individuals accountable for their own actions rather than hold a religion like Islam accountable," the statement said.
The Libyan envoy accused the group of inhumanity and violating the tenets of Islam by holding innocent people. Abdul Rajab Azzarouq, former ambassador to the Philippines, criticised the kidnappers for holding people who have nothing to do with the conflict. The hostage-takers should not use religion as a reason to keep the hostages isolated from their families, he said. Islam is against any activity that violates human rights.
Islamic scholar Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi in Qatar has denounced the kidnapping and killings committed by the Abu Sayyaf towards civilians and foreigners, asserting that they are not part of the dispute between the Abu Sayyaf and the Philippines government. He stated that it is shameful to commit such acts in the name of the Islamic faith, saying that such acts produce backlashes against Islam and Muslims worldwide. It is known that Qaradawi supports the rights of Muslims in Philippines. Qaradawi spoke of the importance of education in the life of Muslims, stating that educational institutions in the Muslim world should review their educational philosophy in order that it may reflect Islamic values aiming to create pious Muslims good to themselves and non-Muslims as well.
The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) condemned the Sipadan kidnapping and offered to help secure their release. OIC Secretary General Azeddine Laraki who represents the world’s largest Islamic body, told the Philippine government he was prepared to send an envoy to help save the hostages and issued a statement condemning the rebels. "The Secretary General has pointed out that this operation and the like are rejected by divine laws and that they are neither the appropriate nor correct means to resolve conflicts," the statement said.Mark Bowden in an Atlantic story on the Martin and Gracia Burnham kidnapping and captivity describe the couple as "gently engaged their captors in theological discussion" and finding
these jihadists to be shallow, even adolescent, in their faith. Unfamiliar with the Koran, the outlaws had only a sketchy notion of Islam, which they saw as a set of behavioral rules, to be violated when it suited them. Kidnapping, murder, and theft were justified by their special status as `holy warriors`. One by one they sexually appropriated several of the women captives, claiming them as `wives`.[40]
WHAT I LIVE FOR
George Linnaeus Banks
I live for those who love me,
Whose hearts are kind and true,
For the Heaven that smiles above me,
And awaits my spirit too;
For all human ties that bind me,
For the task by God assigned me,
And the good that I can do.
I live to learn their story.
Who suffered for my sake;
To emulate their glory,
And follow in their wake;
Bards, patriot, martyrs, sages,
The heroic of all ages;
Whose deeds crowd History’s pages,
And Time’s great volume make.
I live to hold communion,
With all that is divine,
To feel there is a union,
Twixt Nature’s heart and mine,
To profit by affliction
Grow wiser from conviction,
And fulfill God’s grand design.
I live to hail that season,
By gifted ones foretold,
When men shall live by reason,
And not alone by gold,
When man to man united,
And every wrong thing righted,
The whole world shall be lighted,
As Eden of the old.
I live for those who love me,
For those who know me true,
For the Heaven that smiles above me,
And awaits my spirit too;
For the cause that lacks assistance,
For the wrong that needs resistance,
For the future in the distance,
And the good that I can do.
American Idol Dark Horse David Cook: Is It Fair For Him To Cover Other Covers
By Chris Harris (MTV.com)
There’s something fishy about American Idol contender David Cook.
Cook, the rock-leaning lad with the highlighted comb-over, closed Tuesday night’s episode of American Idol, belting out Michael Jackson’s "Billy Jean" - a song released the year he was born.
But Cook’s take on the track was actually former Soundgarden/Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell’s version. Cornell’s cover appeared on his sophomore solo album, Carry On, which was released last year.
Sure, Idol host Ryan Seacrest prefaced Cook’s performance by saying, "With Chris Cornell’s version of ‘Billie Jean,’ here’s David Cook," but his introduction was barely audible, coming from the pit of screaming fans located just in front of the studio’s stage. And though Cook’s performance was very much a cover of Cornell’s cover, the Idol judges absolutely loved it and praised the performance for its "originality."
Seeing as Idol contestants are judged not only for their vocal performances but on their arrangements as well, it seems Cook has been coasting off others’ visions. Does this mean Cook has had an unfair advantage over the rest of the Idol crop?
Michael Slezak, a senior writer for Entertainment Weekly known for his Idol coverage, said he thinks Cook is smart for picking the arrangements he has.
"I think it’s a little silly to accuse him of stealing arrangements," Slezak explained. "You know, Chris Daughtry took a real hit when he did a version of [Johnny Cash’s] ‘Walk the Line’ and didn’t, at any point, credit Live’s version, but in this case, Cook put it out there, clearly having Ryan state, ‘He’s doing Chris Cornell’s version,’ and if you listen to both versions, it’s not like he did a complete carbon copy of Cornell’s, anyway.
"I would understand why people would want to see some of these contestants - if they’re going to get credit for being brave and innovative - completely change up a song on their own," he continued. "I think it’s also hard to ask them to do that. They only have a week to come up with the arrangements, and then they’ve got to get the Idol band onboard with it and record their version for the iTunes download, so it doesn’t give them a lot of time to come up with a completely innovative arrangement of a song every week. Ultimately, I think Cook deserves credit for being smart and aware of new or different versions of songs - different than the ones people are familiar with. I don’t know if he should get credit for being brave, but he should get credit for being smart and singing these songs well."
But this season, Cook has been accused of copping another artist’s cover on more than one occasion. Just three weeks ago, a Seattle band came out against Cook, claiming he’d ripped off their rockin’ cover of the Beatles’ "Eleanor Rigby." Doxology said they recorded their version of the track more than a year ago and even had it available on iTunes and their MySpace page. According to the band’s manager, the cover was what Doxology is best known for, but the guys didn’t sue Cook - they merely asked for recognition.
Even prior to that claim, several Idol fans took to the message boards to cry foul over Cook’s cover of Lionel Richie’s "Hello," one they claimed was very similar to Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd’s solo take on the track.
As far as Slezak is concerned, Cook is just dealing with the inevitable backlash that those labeled as "the ones to beat" face when they’re on Idol.
"He is getting ripped on now because he has emerged as the surprise front-runner, and I think anytime you are in that position, people are going to look for a way to tear you down," Slezak said. "It’s the nature of Idol. People have to find things to criticize him for, because right now, he’s performing really strongly and moving up in all the ‘Idol’ polls. His detractors have to latch onto something, I guess."
But no, Slezak insisted, Cook hasn’t survived on AI because he’s had an unfair advantage throughout the contest.
"He’s just aware of these versions in the first place," he said. "It’s not like Cornell’s version was a #1 hit. The average Idol viewer at home may not even be aware of that version, so he could have gone ahead and not credited it at all, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the judges didn’t know that version. The judges give him credit for bravery and innovation when he’s just really being smart and savvy and picking interesting versions of the song that really suit his vocal style. What he’s doing is really no different than any contestant on the show. David Archuleta picked Stevie Wonder’s version of ‘We Can Work It Out,’ and Carly Smithson picked Celine Dion’s version of ‘I Drove All Night.’ Cook is just picking slightly more creative and interesting versions of his songs. It’s hard to make a case that he’s doing something unfair. He’s just a smart competitor."
NEW YORK - David Cook isn’t a rules guy.
The newly crowned "American Idol" winner says he doesn’t abide by the conventional three-day wait period after a date.
"I don’t really believe in any sort of theories," the 25-year-old singer told The Associated Press on Thursday morning before performing on NBC’s "Today" show. "I just kind of call when I call."
Which begs the question: Has he called — or texted — "Idol" alum Kimberly Caldwell? Cook said Tuesday on "Live With Regis and Kelly" that he recently had a dinner date with Caldwell, 26, who appeared on the second season of the top-rated Fox show. The verdict: he had a good time, and they’ll "probably hang out again."
Two days later, surrounded by screaming fans outside Rockefeller Center, Cook responded diplomatically to a Caldwell question by the AP: "Great girl, we hung out and we’ll see what happens."
Cook, from Blue Springs, Mo., defeated 17-year-old David Archuleta last week in a landslide victory. The rocker/ex-bartender transformed into this season’s heartthrob around the time he got rid of his unpopular (and unflattering) comb-forward haircut and grew facial scruff.
When asked if his in-season makeover contributed to his success, Cook said: "I don’t really know. I think, you know, for me it was time to get a haircut. I forgot to shave one week. It’s really all it is. … I hope that at the end of the day, I did well on my own musical merit."
Cook and Archuleta, from Murray, Utah, each took the stage on the "Today" plaza. Signs in the audience read: "Cookie I am your oldest fan. `64.’ Can I have a hug?" and "Life is betta with Archuleta." Someone yelled: "I’m missing school for you!"
Archuleta performed "Think of Me" from "The Phantom of the Opera." Cook crooned "The Time of My Life," which ranks third on Billboard’s list of the "Hot 100" singles.
Archuleta, who has a penchant for socially conscious songs, said he hopes his post-"Idol" album will include music that’s "fun and still has some meaning to it."
Cook said he’ll begin recording his album (slated for release in the fall) this summer while crossing the country on the "American Idol’s Live!" Tour. The tour, which features the show’s top 10 contestants, kicks off July 1 in Glendale, Ariz., and ends in September in Tulsa, Okla.
"I’m gonna do like a calypso jazz fusion record," he joked. "No, I mean big surprise: my record will probably be a rock record." - AP
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