Southeast Asia: The Third Front in the Long War

Abstract

Southeast Asia is vulnerable to the spread of radical Islam. Al Qaeda's Salafi Jihadist message has found an audience in parts of Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and elsewhere. The United States has strategic interests in the stability of the region. Any additional freedom of action by terrorist organizations could create regional economic and political instability, and directly threaten the United States and its allies. The United States has been successful in assisting the Philippines combat the Abu Sayaff Group through diplomacy and an efficient use of security cooperation programs. This paper examines the history and impact of the most prominent radical Islamic groups in Southeast Asia -- Jemaah Islamiyah of Indonesia and the Abu Sayyaf Group of the Philippines -- and why they pose a significant threat to the United States. The paper also examines the Muslim regions of Thailand and why they are vulnerable to the spread of radical Islam if not given the requisite amount of attention at both the strategic and operational levels.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 04, 2009
Accession Number
ADA502807

Entities

People

  • Derek J. Wastila

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Archipelagoes
  • Asia
  • Commerce
  • Foreign Aid
  • Foreign Relations
  • Governments
  • Indonesia
  • Islands
  • Military Operations
  • National Security
  • Security
  • Southeast Asia
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • United States
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.