• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

DATE=8/20/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=PHILIPPINES HOSTAGES (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-265659
BYLINE=KONRAD MULLER
DATELINE=MANILA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: INTRO: In the southern Philippines, three 
Malaysians flew home Sunday, after being held for 
nearly four months by the Muslim extremist Abu Sayyaf 
group on the island of Jolo. But as Konrad
Muller reports from Manila, efforts to free the 
remaining 28 captives have run into difficulty.
TEXT: Uncertainty had surrounded the whereabouts of 
the three Malaysians after their release was announced 
Friday night.  Security and transport difficulties, it 
seems, obstructed their
departure from the Abu Sayyaf's jungle camp.
Sunday morning, however, the three arrived in the town 
of Jolo, plainly elated, if exhausted. They then flew 
on to Zamboanga City on the main southern island of 
Mindanao, before heading home.
The three were among 21 mainly foreign captives seized 
in April from a Malaysian diving resort by the Muslim 
extremist Philippine rebels.
Of the original hostages, seven Europeans and two 
South Africans now remain in the Abu Sayyaf's custody. 
They are also joined in captivity in the jungle by 
three French journalists and fifteen Filipinos, 
kidnapped since April.
Efforts to free these remaining hostages are clearly 
deadlocked. Libya has spearheaded an initiative to 
secure their release, but
talks broke down Saturday over the Abu Sayyaf's 
refusal to surrender all the hostages together, as 
demanded by the Philippines government.
The situation now threatens to unravel further. A 
Libyan charity that was reported to be offering 
millions of dollars in development funds as part of a 
deal, has warned it would abandon
negotiations if there were no positive developments in 
the next 48 hours.
It seems the source of the impasse is the anxiety of 
Abu Sayyaf leaders over possible military strikes, 
once all of the captives are released.
The Philippine government's chief negotiator, Roberto 
Aventajado, has said Libya is free to withdraw from 
the negotiating process, if it so chooses. Yet he also 
signalled he would be discussing the deadlock with the 
Philippine
President, Joseph Estrada, Monday. (Signed)
NEB/KM/PLM 
20-Aug-2000 06:53 AM EDT (20-Aug-2000 1053 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.