How did the Philippines hunt down Abu Sayyaf leaders and others terrorizing the southern Philippines with hostage takings and beheadings? With the help of the United States military and their own brand of justice, that's how.

There have been numerous recent successes. Abu Sayyaf leader, Khadaffy Janjalani, was confirmed killed in September. Also an Abu Sayyaf commander, Abu Sulaiman, was killed in January 2007.

In an article this month in The Atlantic, Mark Bowden reports on the actions and strategies that brought about successes such as these.

Here's a little taste of the article and there's more at Enrevanche

Over the next year and a half, [terrorist ringleader] Aldam Tilao would in fact be hunted down and cornered, in a Philippine military operation that involved the CIA and the American military. Eliminating him was a small, early success in what the Bush administration calls the “global war on terror”; but in the shadow of efforts like the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, it went largely unnoticed.

Tipped by: This Week's RINO Sightings at Right Thoughts where JimK shines.