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U.S. Offers $25 Million for Capture of Abu Sayyaf Leaders
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Abu Sayyaf wanted poster |
MANILA,
May 29 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The United States Wednesday
offered a reward of up to $25 million for the capture of the top five
leaders of the Abu Sayyaf group, which President George W. Bush
labeled terrorists.
The
offer came as Philippine military officials retracted a report that
two U.S. helicopters exchanged fire with suspected Abu Sayyaf
guerrillas in the first direct combat since American troops were
deployed in the south on January 31.
The U.S.
reward is on top of a bounty of one million pesos ($20,000) for each
Abu Sayyaf rebel leader put up by Philippine President Gloria Arroyo.
U.S.
Ambassador to Manila Francis Ricciardone said it was made under the
State Department's "rewards for justice" program, which is
part of a larger campaign against international extremists.
"We
hope that this 'rewards for justice' program now active in the
Philippines will support Philippine government efforts to bring to
justice the terrorists responsible for the murder of Filipinos and
Americans," Ricciardone told reporters.
He said
the Abu Sayyaf rebels, who are holding a U.S. couple and a Filipina
nurse hostage, are "violent criminals who must be stopped."
Abu
Sayyaf’s modus operandi has been to kidnap people and hold them for
ransom money. They have also been known to kill their hostages. They
have been denounced as outlaws by virtually all Muslim countries and
are not thought to have any agenda other than collecting ransoms.
Armed
forces spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jose Mabanta said putting money on
the heads of the rebels "will be a great boost and a big
help" to the military's efforts.
"This
will ensure the total annihilation of the remaining leaders of the Abu
Sayyaf," Mabanta said.
The five
Abu Sayyaf leaders named were Khadaffy Janjalani, Abu Sabaya, Abu
Solaiman, Isnilon Hapilon and Hamsiraji Sali, Agence France-Presse
(AFP) reported.
They are
believed to be commanding separate units on the southern island of
Basilan where U.S. hostages Martin and Gracia Burnham have been in
captivity for over a year, along with Filipina nurse Ediborah Yap.
The
Americans were seized while holidaying in a western Philippine beach
resort on May 27, 2001 along with another American and 17 Filipino
tourists and resort staff.
Another
American, Californian Guillermo Sobero, was beheaded by the rebels
last year along with over a dozen Filipino hostages.
U.S.
embassy spokesman Frank Jenista denied that Washington was resorting
to cash rewards because it was discouraged by the Philippine
military's failure to capture the Abu Sayyaf leaders.
Meanwhile,
in the south, local military officers said they mistook a U.S.
helicopter training exercise over Basilan for a clash between the U.S.
aircraft and an Abu Sayyaf band.
"There
is a mix-up in the military report. We are correcting our reports
about the attack. It turned out to be an exercise," military
spokesman Colonel Fredesvindo Covarrubias said.
Earlier
Philippine military reports had said that two US Pave Hawk helicopters
exchanged fire with Abu Sayyaf rebels in Basilan late Monday.
Major
Richard Sater, spokesman of U.S. forces in the south, said the alleged
shooting occurred during war games between local and U.S. soldiers.
"It
was not a hostile fire. It was a coordinated exercise. They [the US
helicopters] fired blanks" while U.S. and Philippine troops on
the ground set off incendiary devices, Sater said.
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