May 9, 2000, ABS-CBN, Abu Sayyaf's roots in Ramos administration -- Pimentel

PASAY CITY, (ABS-CBN) - Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. called for a Senate inquiry on Monday into reports that former military officials of the Ramos administration and the Cental Intelligence Agency (CIA) backed up covert operations to form the Muslim terrorist group Abu Sayyaf.

"There is now emerging bits of information that Abu Sayyaf was indeed a creation of probably the CIA in connivance with or with the support of some select military officers during previous administration ," Pimentel said.

Pimentel claimed he obtained reports the Abu Sayyaf were initially recruited as mudjahidims for training by the CIA to fight the American war in Afghanistan during the war against Russia in the early 1990's.

Citing the 1995 massacre in Ipil, Zamboanga, Pimentel said the same information showed that funds intended for the Abu Sayaff either failed to arrive or were delayed, prompting the rebel group to consider robbing banks . 

Pimentel claimed the US government provided the funds to create the group and that international terrorist Osama Bin Laden was the principal courier.

When funding stopped, the Abu Sayyaf's trained fighters turned into bandits and resorted to terrorism, he added.

Senator Rodolfo Biazon called Pimentel's pronouncements "wild" speculation.