Editing Abu Sayyaf (section)

==Motivation, beliefs, targets==
Filipino Islamist guerrillas such as Abu Sayyaf have been described as "rooted in a distinct class made up of closely-knit networks built through the marriage of important families through socioeconomic backgrounds and family structures", according to Michael Buehler. This tight-knit, familial structure provides resilience but also limits their growth.<ref name="IBT-9-2014"/> Commander of the Western Mindanao Command Lieutenant General Rustico Guerrero, describes Abu Sayyaf as "a local group with a local agenda".<ref name="IBT-9-2014"/> Two kidnapping victims, (Martin and [[Gracia Burnham]]) who were kept in captivity by ASG for over a year, "gently engaged their captors in theological discussion" and found Abu Sayyaf fighters to be unfamiliar with the [[Qur'an]]. They had only "a sketchy" notion of Islam, which they saw as "a set of behavioural rules, to be violated when it suited them", according to author [[Mark Bowden]]. As "[[mujahideen|holy warriors]], they were justified in kidnapping, killing and stealing. Having sex with women captives was justified by their claiming them as "wives".<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Bowden, Mark|title=Jihadists in Paradise |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2007/03/jihadists-in-paradise/305613/2/|magazine=[[The Atlantic]]|date=March 1, 2007}}</ref>

Unlike MILF and MNLF, the group is not recognised by the [[Organization of Islamic Cooperation]], and according to author Robert East, was seen as "nothing more than a criminal operation" at least prior to 2001.<ref name="east-2">{{cite book|last1=East|first1=Robert|title=Terror Truncated: The Decline of the Abu Sayyaf Group from the Crucial Year 2002|date=May 17, 2015|publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing.|page=2|url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=pzgyBwAAQBAJ|page=2}}|access-date=May 17, 2015}}</ref> A [[Center for Strategic and International Studies]] report by Jack Fellman notes the political rather than religious motivation of ASG. He quotes Khadaffy's statement that his brother was right to split from MNLF because "up to now, nothing came out" of attempts to gain more autonomy for Moro Muslims. This suggests, Fellman believes, that ASG "is merely the latest, albeit most violent, iteration of Moro political dissatisfaction that has existed for the last several decades".<ref name="Fellman-4">{{cite web|last1=Fellman|first1=Jack|title=Abu Sayyaf Group|url=http://csis.org/files/publication/111128_Fellman_ASG_AQAMCaseStudy5.pdf|publisher=Center for Strategic International Studies|access-date=May 17, 2015|page=4|archive-date=April 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417072952/http://csis.org/files/publication/111128_Fellman_ASG_AQAMCaseStudy5.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Some Abu Sayyaf members are also "shabu" ([[methamphetamine]]) users as described by surviving hostages who saw Abu Sayyaf members taking shabu as well from military findings who found drug packets in many of the abandoned Abu Sayyaf nests that justified their motivation as [[extremism|extreme]] criminals and terrorists as their state of mind were under the influence of drugs rather than being consciously fighting for the betterment of their region as well rights to living under their minority religion without any discrimination from the majority Filipinos.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/583221/news/nation/military-says-abu-sayyaf-members-are-shabu-users|title=(INFO FROM EX-CAPTIVES) Military says Abu Sayyaf members are shabu users|publisher=GMA News|date=September 29, 2016|access-date=October 3, 2016}}</ref> Its spokesman known as Abu Rami ({{abbr|d.|died}} 2017)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fe Perez |first1=Annie |last2=Nadela |first2=Junrey |date=April 12, 2017 |title=Abu Sayyaf leader Abu Rami killed in Bohol clash |publisher=ABS-CBN News |agency=Reuters |url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/12/17/abu-sayyaf-leader-abu-rami-killed-in-bohol-clash |access-date=April 12, 2017}}</ref> appeared to lack knowledge of the activities of other members, as the group had apparently separated into many small groups with their own leaders.<ref>{{cite web |author=Golingai |first=Philip |date=October 1, 2016 |title=A peek into the mind of Abu Sayyaf man |url=http://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/columnists/one-mans-meat/2016/10/01/a-peek-into-the-mind-of-abu-sayyaf-man-daily-chats-with-a-terrorist-provide-a-chilling-insight-into/ |access-date=October 3, 2016 |work=The Star}}</ref>

===Targets===
Most Abu Sayyaf victims have been Filipinos; however, in recent years (especially from 2011 onwards), Australian, British, Canadian, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Norwegian, Swiss and Vietnamese nationals have been kidnapped or attacked.<ref name="attack on fishermen"/><ref name="AS involved"/>

Previously, Americans were particularly targeted. An unnamed ASG spokesman allegedly stated, "We have been trying hard to get an American because they may think we are afraid of them". He added, "We want to fight the American people."<ref name=ETaK>{{cite web|title=Engine trouble and kidnappings|url=http://www.sailingtotem.com/2014/06/engine-trouble-and-kidnappings.html|website=sailingtotem.com|access-date=May 16, 2015|date=June 25, 2014}}</ref>

In 1993, Abu Sayyaf kidnapped an American Bible translator. In 2000, Abu Sayyaf captured an American Muslim 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]] in New York City.

Between March 2016 – July 2017, the majority of Abu Sayyaf kidnap for ransom operations shifted to the high seas. Seventeen ships were boarded and some sixty-five hostages from six countries were taken. In total, thirty hostages have been released (usually after a ransom was paid), seven escaped, three were rescued by Philippine security forces, and four were executed. Two others were killed during the attacks while eight seamen escaped during the shipjackings. An additional forty seamen were not taken hostage.<ref>{{cite news |last=Abuza |first=Zachary |date=August 3, 2017 |title=Why Vietnam Must Fight the Islamic State Terror Threat |work=The Diplomat by Zachary Abuza |url=https://thediplomat.com/2017/08/why-vietnam-must-fight-the-islamic-state-terror-threat/ |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129195325/https://thediplomat.com/2017/08/why-vietnam-must-fight-the-islamic-state-terror-threat/ |archive-date=29 January 2018}}</ref>