September 25, 2005: Abu Sayyaf is offering cash (up to $500) to entice new recruits for terror missions. Abu Sayyaf is believed to be receiving cash from Islamic charities and wealthy individuals in Persian Gulf countries. Some of the couriers have been caught. This is a good news/bad news type situation, because fewer Moslem Filipinos are willing to become terrorists for free. But cash coming into the country, to fund terror operations, is not good. Nor are the growing number of Islamic radicals fleeing neighboring nations for what they believe are safer refuges in the Philippines. So far, this influx of money and terrorists has not resulted in any new terror attacks, but until more arrests can be made, the risk is there.
September 22, 2005: Police captured two key Abu Sayyaf members, Al-Amin Lahi Uddin and Mustafa Kasim Arala, in the south, in separate incidents. Constant patrols, and following up tips, has kept the Abu Sayyaf on the run, and made it difficult to plan and carry out more terror attacks.
North of the capital, police raided a store and found over 500 pounds of explosives, plus blasting caps and detonators. It is not known if this was for terrorism, or some other illegal use.
