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Since 1991, the Philippines has been plagued by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), a terrorist organization linked to al-Qaeda. After September 11, 2001, President Gloria Arroyo fervently supported the U.S. global war on terror by linking it with the Philippines ’ struggle against terrorism. With Philippine cooperation, came considerable U.S. military assistance, training, and intelligence support for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to combat the war on terror’s “second-front ” in Southeast Asia. The aim of this five part thesis is to examine the development and effectiveness of U.S. policy in combating the ASG while covering the scope of the George W. Bush Administration from 2001 to 2008. To provide the necessary background for understanding the Abu Sayyaf problem, Chapter I will outline the plight of the Moros in the Philippines under Spanish and American colonial rule from 1521 to 1946. Chapter II will examine the deteriorating conditions of the Moros under Christian Filipino rule from independence to 2001, when they were further marginalized. Chapter III will analyze the developments in U.S. policy towards the Moro problem during th