The February 2005 summit in Egypt between Ariel Sharon and Mahmoud Abbas, the first post-Arafat leader of the PLO, has brought hopes for peace to the region.  At this time it appears that all PLO factions, among them those linked to al-Fatah, are heeding the cease fire.  It remains unknown if the Tanzim will be integrated into the newly strengthened PA Security Forces or if they will remain an opposition force.

Citizen and Soldier, Masses and Soldiers, Secret Bad Men, Secret Warriors, Tabak (Machete) Group, The People and the Soldiers

Taong Bayan at Kawal (TABAK) is one of many small Filipino terrorist outfits that support the ousting of the government of President Gloria Arroyo. The group accuses the President of trying to establish a police state with the help of the Philippine National Police (PNP).<br /><p><br />TABAK was responsible for a series of bombings that occurred in June 2006 around Filipino Independence Day. The National Capital Region Police Headquarters, a PNP field office, and the home of Mayor Dennis Pineda, a known ally of President Gloria Arroyo, were among the targets. No casualties were reported, and police stated that the nature and timing of the explosions corroborate the group's subsequent claim that the blasts were not intended to kill, but rather to send a political message to President Arroyo and her police and security establishment.<br /><p><br />It is alleged that TABAK is a front for the Magdalo Group, a group of 321 disgruntled soldiers and low-ranking officers that unsuccessfully attempted to incite a popular coup against President Arroyo's government in July 2003. The group's name, translated as "Soldiers and Masses", would seem to support this view. TABAK is also thought to have ties to the Black Shark organized crime syndicate in the Philippines.<br />

Though the series of attacks committed by Taong Bayan at Kawal were carried out fairly recently and with a fairly high level of sophistication, Philippine police do not characterize the group as more serious a security threat than other anti-government groups in the Philippines.