In a darkened room, we get to meet a longstanding member of Abu Sayyaf. He reports that they have cells all over the Philippines and extensive international links, with 50 members currently undergoing military training in Syria. Although he doesn't condone the group's extreme action, he talks of the desperation and the suppression of Muslims in the Southern Philippines which has made it a breeding ground for extremism. We travel to Basilan - the hottest new target in Bush's global war on terrorism. It is the end of Ramadan - the deadline set by the Philippine army for the total annihilation of the Abu Sayyaf group. The Philippine army have been pursuing them for years, but since September 11th, they have had US backing. The deal: 100 million dollars and 650 troops. The US is adamant that its aid and advisers are targeted at Abu Sayyaf terrorists, but to the islands Muslim inhabitants, this is a war against Islam. Sayeed Mabul has been accused of being a terrorist. His mother recalls the shocking treatment her son faced at the hands of the Philippine military, as they forced him to acknowledge association with Abu Sayyaf. "He was hung upside down for hours and crushed chili stuffed into his rectum. He just cried - Mum - I can't take any more". If the Philippine government is to have any success in the global war on terror, it must win over the hearts and minds of its inhabitants by eradicating the poverty that spawns extremism. However, America's insistence on a military solution suggests there isn't much chance of that.

A report by Jonathon Miller for Unreported World.

Produced by Mentorn