The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), or Abu Sayyaf, is a radical Islamic terrorist group active in the Southern Philippines and Malaysia. Its stated goal is the creation of an independent Islamic state encompassing parts of Southern Thailand, the island of Borneo, the Sulu Archipelago, and Mindanao, areas where Moro Muslims, a minority ethnic group in the Philippines, make up the majority of the local population. The ASG is known to target Filipino and Western Christians in the Southern Philippines, though the group's influence is thought to have expanded to the regional level recently.<br /><p><br />The ASG was founded in 1991 by radical Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) members who objected to the MNLF's negotiations with the Philippine government. Due to the ASG's predisposition toward violent tactics, which include high-profile bombings, armed attacks, assassinations, and beheadings, it is seen to be more radical than its mother group. Abu Sayyaf, which literally means "father of the sword" in Arabic, sees itself as the rightful inheritor of the legacy of armed Moro resistance in the region and the torchbearer in the struggle for the establishment of an Islamic state in Southeast Asia. Ironically, the group rocketed into prominence in the mid-1990s after two large scale plots (one to destroy 12 U.S. commercial aircraft simultaneously in mid-flight and one to assassinate Pope John Paul II) were foiled. It is thought to have two to five hundred core members mostly recruited from educational institutions and up to 2000 supporters.<br /><p><br />Abu Sayyaf is largely self-financed through extortion rackets and kidnapping-for-ransom schemes. Allegedly, the ASG also receives a small level of logistical and material support from other extremist groups active in the region. The ASG provides safe haven for terrorist leaders from other groups and has local infrastructure in place to funnel money to plan and support attacks. It is also known to have substantial links to Jemaah Islamiya (JI) and factions of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that have yet to surrender to Philippine authorities.<br /><p><br />The extent of the ASG's cooperation with al-Qaeda is thought to have diminished following the post-9/11 crackdown on the latter. Still, ASG members have trained in al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan and some continue to receive operational guidance from al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorists hiding in or passing through the Philippines. The most famous of these contacts is 1993 World Trade Center mastermind Ramzi Yousef, who met Abu Sayyaf founder and leader Abdurajak Janjalani in Afghanistan and trained ASG terrorists in bomb-making techniques. Osama bin-Laden's brother-in-law, Muhammad Jamal Khalifa, is thought to have provided the ASG with the bulk of its startup funding by laundering money through his charity, the International Islamic Relief Organization.<br /><p><br />Abu Sayyaf committed itself to Osama bin Laden's war against the "Jews and Crusaders" in February 1998. Later that year, Janjalani was killed by Philippine security forces and replaced by his younger brother Khadaffy Janjalani. After the death of the elder Janjalani, the group underwent a period of transition as Khadaffy Janjalani consolidated his power within the organization, battling other contenders such as Galib Andang (aka Commander Robot) and Abu Sabaya for influence. Some experts suggested that the ASG moved away from its ideological and religious roots, engaging itself more in criminal activities (murder, robbery, kidnapping) with no apparent political or religious motive. It is also possible that this increase in criminal activity is due to the need to bolster the group's depleted coffers following the post-9/11 recommitment by governments the world over to disrupt and destroy terrorist financial networks. The group has certainly become more decentralized since Janjalani's death, a testament to the younger Janjalani's lack of leadership skills and religious legitimacy. The appointment of religious scholar Yasser Igasan to the ASG's top post in June 2007 may reflect the group's attempt to address this problem, though Igasan reportedly lacks military training.<br />