A look into Abu Sayyaf

Here are some facts about the group, which is on the US State Department's blacklist for the abduction and murder of tourists, including Americans:

The Abu Sayyaf, which translates as "Bearer of the Sword", was formed in the 1990s by a charismatic Islamic preacher who returned to the Philippines from Afghanistan after the armies of the former Soviet Union were driven out of the country in 1989.

The Abu Sayyaf wants an independent Islamic nation in south of the Roman Catholic Philippines, aligning itself with militants who espouse a similar vision of a pan-Islamic super-state in Southeast Asia. It has been linked to Al-Qaida and to Jemaah Islamiah.