GRP 40- Dan, the owner of Combat Flags, and US Army veteran joined me for our 40th episode. We discuss the role of a PYSOP (Physiological Operations) Solider, OEF-P, and his company Combat Flags. Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines is a lesser known campaign to rid the Philippine’s of Islamic terror groups. We discuss the situation there, and what the Pilipino government is doing to counter the threat. Dan’s company Combat Flags, create these beautiful American flags put together using the uniforms of veterans from all branches. It’s really awesome work, and Combat Flags donates half of the money to Stop Solider Suicide. Below is an excerpt from the episode.

John Hendricks: During the height of the Iraq war, now in Syria, and Iraq people who are critical of the war efforts would say things like we’re out there fighting farmers, and things like that. Which is very far from the truth. Apart of the truth is what removing Saddam from power was lifting that stringent, and strict security measures that kept out these transnational terrorist organizations out. What ends up happening is now you have fighters from Chechnya, the larger middle east, and Africa. In the Philippine’s was it Pilipino terrorism, or was it international groups operating there?

Dan: The Philippines falls within South East Asia, and it’s an Archipelago nation. The terrorist activity predominately takes place in the southern Philippine’s. Back in the mid to late 70’s this group called the Moral National Liberation Front (MNLF) started to take hold, and open up these insurgent training camps. The MNLF had an internal coup, and split off into a separate group called the Moral Islamic Liberation Front. These camps really paved the way for what I was working with, and what guys who preceded me were working with. Throughout the years there have been thousands of Jihadist who were trained there, and going to Pakistan, Iraq, you name it. I liked to refer to it as the minor league of terrorism.

That’s where the terrorist goes, get there training, and when ready for the big leagues they get called up, and head out to the middle east. These training camps in the 70’s, 80’s, and early 90’s were pumping out guys left and right. Some of the more notable folks who came through the Philippine’s during the 80’s was Osama Bin Laden’s brother in law. Another guy named Ramsey Yousef, who was one of the primary architects of the World Trade Center bombings in 93. A more contemporary guy named Khalid Sheikh Mohammed he’s one of the big guys from the 9/11 attacks. He was a former secretary of the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf. These groups gained ground pretty quick, and have been causing havoc on the southern part of the Philippine’s through bombings, and kidnappings.

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