The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria: A Direct Threat to the Philippines? (Part 2 of 2) (original) (raw)
Related papers
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria: Profile and Strategic Assessment (Part 1 of 2)
NDCP Policy Brief, 2015
The aim of this two-part policy brief is to discuss how the rise of ISIS may impact Philippine national security. Specifically, these two articles seek to discuss the following: first, the capabilities of ISIS; second, the potential security challenges to the country posed by ISIS; and third, some policy considerations in Philippine counter-terrorism efforts vis-à-vis the ascendance of ISIS as an international terrorist threat. http://www.ndcp.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/publications/The%20Islamic%20State%20of%20Iraq%20and%20Syria%20Part%201.pdf
The Islamic State’s Northward Expansion in the Philippines
Counter Terrorism Trends and Analyses , 2017
The Islamic State’s (IS) East Asia Division (Sharq Asia) in the Philippines is a significant node of the group’s presence in Southeast Asia. Keeping in view the recent setbacks IS has suffered in the Levant, its East Asia Division, among others, remains a viable fallback option for the terror group. Given, the recent spate of IS-claimed high-profile terrorist attacks in Manila and the importance attached to the Philippines in IS social media propaganda campaigns, the IS threat to Manila is potent.
Strengths and weaknesses of counter-Islamic-insurgency programs in the Philippines
The Philippines have seen some of the deadliest and most persistent armed insurgencies in Asia. The government’s counter-insurgency programs, mainly started under the Marcos administration in the 1960s, have faced tremendous challenges from various Islamic insurgent groups, namely the MNLF, MILF and the ASG (Abu Sayyaf). This thesis examines the major strengths and weaknesses of the government’s counter-insurgent policies from the 1960s to the present day. It will first explore its weaknesses: the problem of legitimacy of the government in the eyes of the Filipino Muslims due to its historical colonial legacies and its inability to safeguard Muslim communities from socio-economic backwardness and violent outbreaks which have repeatedly jeopardized the government’s efforts. The essay will then examine the strengths and prospects of the counter-insurgent strategies by looking at the consistency the government’s goal over the decades as well as its ability to win over numerous insurgents and the importance of exploiting the divisions among the groups.
National Security Review, 2021
The resurgence of the Taliban as the dominant politico-military force after 20 years of US-led international military occupation and liberal democratic experiment in Afghanistan once again elevates Islamic fundamentalism or Islamism as one of the top worldwide security threats, with dire strategic implications to Philippine national security. The two main transnational terrorist groups vying for international jihadist leadership—Al Qaeda and the Islamic State —are highly likely to capitalize on this event in order to advance their divergent narratives and models of insurgency in their information warfare to attract the local Islamist armed threat groups to subscribe to their jihadist ‘franchise’. Meanwhile, the contested spaces within Afghanistan could be transformed into safe havens for mobilization in preparation for future terrorist attacks against US security allies, such as the Philippines. This latest security development significantly raises the urgency for the Philippine government to indigenize homeland security as a guiding comprehensive national policy framework for reforming the public safety and sector in order to attain the strategic objectives of the National Security Policy 2017- 2022 and the National Security Strategy 2018, effectively prevent another Marawi-style territorial takeover of urban centers, and stem the tide of Islamist terror in the country.
IAG and GCERF, 2020
This paper contends that in the aftermath of the Marawi siege, suicide terrorism has become the most favored means of attack by pro-IS fighters in the Philippines, particularly those associated with the ASG. This paper presents historical factors that give rise to suicide terrorism in the Philippines. It also examines the emergence of suicide terrorism in the Philippines culminating in the 2020 Jolo twin bombings. This paper also describes the persistent threats of suicide terrorism in the Philippines that can be addressed by innovative measures like preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE).