After Chinese Make Obama Exit Plane Out Ass Exit at G20, Obama Seeks Revenge?

Is Barack Hussein Obama having a tantrum towards the Chinese?  Oh, and by the way, is the "son of a whore" giving planes to the guy that called him a "son of a whore?"

The story comes from DAWN.

US to give Philippines military planes


MANILA: The United States (US) is giving the Philippines two used military aircraft, the coast guard said Wednesday, to help Manila expand sea patrols in the face of territorial disputes with China.

The two Sherpa 30-seater aircraft will be delivered in December, Philippine coast guard spokesman Commander Armand Balilo told AFP.

"It will help us in the movements of the Philippine Coast Guard like patrol missions," Balilo added.

The announcement came days after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday sparked a major diplomatic row with Manila's longtime treaty ally the United States by branding President Barack Obama a "son of a `*****`".

Duterte said Tuesday he regretted the tirade, sparked by the US leader's plan to raise the issue of extrajudicial killings under Duterte's war on crime.

Manila, which has one of Asia's weakest militaries, has been trying to improve defence ties with its former colonial ruler Washington and other allies.

Balilo said the Sherpas would help the coast guard augment its meagre air patrol capability, now comprised of two old Britten-Norman Islanders.

The Philippines has expressed concern about Beijing's massive island-building over reefs, some of them claimed by Manila, in the South China Sea.

Duterte last week said China had sent barges to the contested Scarborough Shoal and had appeared to begin construction there for the first time.

On Wednesday the Philippines released photos to back its claims.

Manila scored a sweeping victory when a UN-backed tribunal ruled in July that Beijing's claims to most of the sea had no legal basis and that its construction of artificial islands was illegal.

The US has said it does not take sides in the dispute but has raised its naval presence in the region to ensure freedom of navigation.

Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam also have competing claims to parts of the sea, through which $5 trillion in annual trade passes.

Philippines Horror: ‘We Beheaded Your Son’: Muslim Militants Message Fallen Soldier’s Mother

Pure unadulterated Evil.

The story comes from The Daily Caller via The Religion of Peace.

‘We Beheaded Your Son’: Muslim Militants Message Fallen Soldier’s Mother

The mother of a fallen soldier received a deeply disturbing text message after a bloody engagement between Philippine troops and Muslim militants Monday.

Philippine forces engaged heavily armed Abu Sayyaf militants in three separate battles near Patikul, Sulu Province, Monday. Fifteen Philippine soldiers were killed, and another 12 were injured.

After hearing the news that there had been casualties during the fighting, Mila Falcasantos sent a message to her son Jison, a private first class in the Army’s 35th Infantry Battalion, reports Inquirer.net.

“Son, how are you there?” she texted Monday evening. She received no response from her son that night.

The next morning, a message came in on her phone.

“Your son is dead, he has no head now, we cut off his head on Tuesday,” the shocking message read.

Falcasantos replied, “You have no conscience.”

A second message came in shortly thereafter. “Indeed, we have no qualms because they were the ones who came to our area. I will cut your head off too,” read the message. They were allegedly sent by Abu Sayyaf militants.

Falcasantos contacted one of her relatives, a military officer, who confirmed that her son was among the 15 soldiers killed in action.

An Abu Sayyaf rebel is seen in the Philippines in this video grab made available February 6, 2009. REUTERS/Philippine National Red Cross via Reuters TV An Abu Sayyaf rebel is seen in the Philippines in this video grab made available February 6, 2009. REUTERS/Philippine National Red Cross via Reuters TV

The mother of a fallen soldier received a deeply disturbing text message after a bloody engagement between Philippine troops and Muslim militants Monday.

Philippine forces engaged heavily armed Abu Sayyaf militants in three separate battles near Patikul, Sulu Province, Monday. Fifteen Philippine soldiers were killed, and another 12 were injured.

After hearing the news that there had been casualties during the fighting, Mila Falcasantos sent a message to her son Jison, a private first class in the Army’s 35th Infantry Battalion, reports Inquirer.net.

“Son, how are you there?” she texted Monday evening. She received no response from her son that night.

The next morning, a message came in on her phone.

“Your son is dead, he has no head now, we cut off his head on Tuesday,” the shocking message read.

Falcasantos replied, “You have no conscience.”

A second message came in shortly thereafter. “Indeed, we have no qualms because they were the ones who came to our area. I will cut your head off too,” read the message. They were allegedly sent by Abu Sayyaf militants.

Falcasantos contacted one of her relatives, a military officer, who confirmed that her son was among the 15 soldiers killed in action.

Initial reports suggested that two Philippine soldiers had been decapitated by Abu Sayyaf militants; however, Western Mindanao Command spokesman Major Filemon Tan Jr. announced Tuesday that all 15 bodies had been recovered and that none of the soldiers had been mutilated or decapitated, reports CNN.

Abu Sayyaf is a terrorist group based in the southern part of the Philippines which has been operational for nearly two decades. This group is said to be loyal to Islamic State. This band of Muslim militants flies the black flag of ISIS, and aims to create an independent Islamic state in the Philippines.

Abu Sayyaf is responsible for the Philippines worst terrorist attack, a ferry bombing in 2004, which killed over a hundred people. They kidnap foreigners and Filipinos for ransom and regularly executes hostages.

In response to this growing threat, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has instructed troops to go “full force” and wipe out Abu Sayyaf, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. Thousands of additional troops have been sent to the south to combat Abu Sayyaf, which is said to have around 500 fighters.

Duterte initially tried to negotiate a ceasefire with Abu Sayyaf, but later changed his stance. He order troops to “go out and destroy them.”

With the deployment of the 63rd Infantry Battalion Wednesday, there are now 7,500 Philippine soldiers spread out across Sulu Province, explained ABS CBN News. Abu Sayyaf has announced that it is ready for the “soldiers of Duterte.”

Thousands of Philippine citizens in the south have already fled their homes in fear of what they expect will be a fierce and bloody battle.

Nothing Says "Merry Christmas" Like Muslims Slaughtering Christians in the Philippines on Christmas Day

The "tolerant" and "peaceful" Muslims of the Philippines helped the country's Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ by slaughtering 14 of them.

The story comes from Times of India.

14 killed in Muslim rebel attacks in southern Philippines

MANILA, Philippines: A Philippine military spokeswoman says Christmas attacks by Muslim rebels against Christian communities in the country's volatile south have left at least 14 people dead.


Regional military spokeswoman Capt. Joan Petinglay says the dead included nine Christian villagers gunned down by Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter insurgents and at least five rebels killed by government forces in clashes in the provinces of Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao and North Cotabato.


Petinglay says around 200 rebels took part in the attacks. She says the military learned about the impending attacks and secured towns and villages and warned villagers not to venture out, preventing a larger number of casualties.


The rebels broke off from the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front when the latter entered into peace talks with the government.

Al Qaeda in the Philippines Sets Ransom for Two Canadians and One Norwegian at $60 Million

You can't say that Islamic terrorists aren't bashful when asking for money not to kill their hostages.

The story comes from DAWN.

Filipino militants demand $60 mln ransom for three foreigners

MANILA: Suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen have demanded more than $60 million for two Canadians and a Norwegian they are holding in the jungles of the southern Philippines in the largest ransom the Muslim militants have sought for their hostages in years.

Army Brig Gen Alan Arrojado said Wednesday the Philippine government maintains a no-ransom policy, adding there would be no let-up in efforts by his troops to secure the hostages' freedom in the safest way possible.

In the video circulated online by the US-based SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadi websites, the kidnappers and their captives said for the first time that the Abu Sayyaf was behind the Sept. 21 kidnappings in an upscale marina on the southern resort island of Samal.

In the first video of the hostages last month, the kidnappers demanded a stop to military offensives but did not identify themselves.

In the latest video, the hostages and one of the mostly masked kidnappers said a ransom of 1 billion pesos ($21 million) must be paid for each of the captives to secure their freedom.

The militant said the captives would be killed if the ransom was not paid but did not give any deadline.

One of the hostages, Canadian John Ridsdel, pleaded for Canada's prime minister and people to heed the ransom demand "as soon as possible or our lives are in great danger."

A militant, who did not wear a mask, pointed a knife at him and the two other captives as each of them spoke. A fourth female captive seized from Samal who has been identified by authorities as a Filipino citizen was not allowed to speak in the video.

The hostages were seen sitting on a clearing with the more than a dozen heavily-armed militants standing behind them. Two black flags were displayed in the background.

Aside from Ridsdel, Philippine authorities have identified the other hostages as Canadian Robert Hall, Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad and Filipino national Maritess Flor. They were abducted at gunpoint from a yacht-berthing resort on Samal in Davao del Norte province in the south, scene of a decades-long Muslim rebellion in the largely Roman Catholic nation.

The United States and the Philippines have separately blacklisted the Abu Sayyaf as a terrorist organization for kidnappings, beheadings, extortion and bomb attacks. The Al Qaida-linked militants have been weakened but have survived more than a decade of US-backed offensives.

Following the Sept. 21 kidnappings, Philippine authorities vowed to strengthen security in the south. But three weeks later, gunmen abducted a former Italian Catholic missionary from his pizza restaurant in southern Zamboanga Sibugay province.

The abductions highlight the long-running security problems that have hounded the southern Philippines, a region with bountiful resources, but which also suffers from poverty, lawlessness and decades-long Muslim and communist insurgencies.

The Philippines Hasn't Solved Their Muslim Menace Yet

 "The military launched the assault to protect villages after Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement fighters staged attacks in southern Maguindanao province," President Benigno Aquino III said. — File Photo

Just days after the Philippine government gave away part of their country to keep Islamic terrorists from killing more people, the army needed to suppress ANOTHER Islamic terror group from screwing up the original deal.

And so it goes...and as I stated the other day, the group that got the small section of the country as a reward for their years of murder and brutality will want more land...and more land...and more land and they will begin killing again.

Soon.

The story comes from DAWN.

Philippines says 37 rebels killed in offensive


MANILA: At least 37 Islamic fighters have been killed in a two-day offensive against insurgents opposed to a new peace deal between the government and the main Muslim rebel group, military officials said Wednesday.

President Benigno Aquino III said the military launched the assault to protect villages after Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement fighters staged attacks in southern Maguindanao province.

Troops were aiming "to seriously degrade their abilities to again act as spoilers," Aquino told reporters.

The rebels involved in the fighting have opposed peace talks between the government and the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which were concluded over the weekend in Malaysia.

They said because the Malaysian-brokered talks would not lead to a separate homeland for minority Muslims in the south they would continue their armed uprising.

Regional military spokesman Col. Dickson Hermoso said 12 of the slain rebels have been identified with the help of village leaders, while others were buried in graves that were discovered by troops in and near a village in Maguindanao.

One soldier died and four others were wounded by rebel bombs hidden around a mosque late Tuesday, Hermoso said.

Rebel spokesman Abu Misry disputed the military report, saying there have been no deaths and only seven insurgents had been wounded in army shelling and helicopter rocket fire.

Hundreds of villagers fled the fighting, which underscored the difficulty of ending violence in the country's south.

Aside from the main Moro rebel group which concluded negotiations Saturday with the government for a new Muslim autonomy deal in the south, at least four other smaller insurgent groups threaten the peace in the region.

Those groups include the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement and the smaller but more brutal Abu Sayyaf, which is notorious for bombings, kidnappings for ransom and beheadings.

Aquino said the new peace deal would bring the government and the 11,000-strong main Moro rebel group together to pursue outlaws who have long thrived in the conflict.

Filipino Government Falls For the Biggest Trick in the Islamic Book....the "Peace Agreement"

So, let me cut to the chase here and deal out the facts...the Islamist terror group in the Philippines, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, has been awarded autonomy in a small section of the country if they dismantle their group and leave the rest of the country at peace.  Now, that kind of agreement might work for others seeking independence but these are Muslims - they will not abide by peace until ALL OF THE PHILIPPINES IS UNDER MUSLIM CONTROL AND LAW.

Got that?  I give it three weeks and you will see the first of the Islamic terror attacks begin once again.

The story comes from DAWN.

Philippines, Muslim rebels clinch peace deal


KUALA LUMPUR: The Philippine government and the country's largest Muslim rebel group completed talks Saturday on a deal to end four decades of fighting that has killed tens of thousands of people and helped foster religioud extremism in Southeast Asia.

The accord between Filipino negotiators and the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front calls for Muslim self-rule in parts of the southern Philippines in exchange for the deactivation of the rebel force. Military presence in the proposed autonomous region would be restricted.

Much now will depend on how the accord is enforced, in particular whether the 11,000-strong rebel forces are able to maintain security in areas that would come under their control.

At least four other smaller Muslim rebel groups are still fighting Manila's rule in the southern Mindanao region, and could act as spoilers.

Officials from both sides announced the conclusion of talks in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, which has brokered the years-long negotiations.

The accord and three other pacts signed last year make up a final peace agreement that is to be signed in the Philippine capital, Manila, possibly next month, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

''This will give the just and lasting peace that our brothers in Mindanao are seeking,'' said Lacierda, referring to the volatile southern region and homeland of minority Muslims in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation.

Government negotiators, some teary-eyed, embraced each other after the conclusion of the talks. Chief government negotiator Miriam Ferrer hailed the progress and said ''good luck to everyone on the next stage, the implementation stage''.

Saturday's accord marks the most significant progress during 13 years of on-and-off negotiations with the Moro fighters to tame a tenacious insurgency that has left more than 120,000 people dead and derailed development in Muslim-populated southern regions that are among the most destitute in the Philippines.

The United States and other Western governments have supported the talks, worried that rebel strongholds could become breeding grounds for Al Qaeda-linked extremists who have sought sanctuary in the region in the past.

Under the peace deal, the Moro insurgents agreed to end violence in exchange for broader autonomy. An existing five-province Muslim autonomous region is to be replaced by a more powerful, better-funded and potentially larger region to be called Bangsamoro.

Despite the milestone, both the government and the rebels acknowledged that violence would not end overnight in a region that has long grappled with a volatile mix of crushing poverty, huge numbers of illegal firearms, clan wars and weak law enforcement.

Philippine school blast wounds 24

 File photo

Okay, let's look at two quotes from the article at DAWN regarding a bombing at a Philippine university that has critically wounded 24 people:

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and police is still trying to determine the motive, Inspector Oranza said.

The school is situated in Arakan, a quiet farming community on the southern island of Mindanao, populated mostly by indigenous tribes.
Mindanao is gripped by a long-running Muslim insurgency that has left more than 150,000 dead.

Okay, so let's look at the police trying to determine a motive again....hmmm....lemme see...what IN THE WORLD could it have been?  You don't suppose it might have been an IED planted by say, some Muslim extremists.....do you?

This is getting to be a joke.

Philippine school blast wounds 24


COTABATO, Philippines: A suspected improvised bomb attack at a university campus in the Philippines has left 24 people wounded — many critically — including students and teachers, police said Monday.

It appeared a fire was set off deliberately in a school building housing security personnel at the state-run Cotabato Foundation College of Science and Technology, before the blast occurred Sunday night, police added.

“The fire drew responders, including firemen, teachers, and students, and they were among the injured,” explained Senior Inspector Rolly Oranza of the local police force in the troubled Mindanao region.

He said 17 of the wounded remain in a critical condition at the hospital.

Police told AFP they believe the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device, but ordnance experts are still determining the exact details.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and police is still trying to determine the motive, Inspector Oranza said.

The school is situated in Arakan, a quiet farming community on the southern island of Mindanao, populated mostly by indigenous tribes.

Mindanao is gripped by a long-running Muslim insurgency that has left more than 150,000 dead.

While Muslim rebels are not known to operate in Arakan, there has been violence between armed paramilitary groups fighting for control of the area.

Communist rebels are also known to have some presence in Arakan, but police said it was unclear if they were involved.

In Oct 2011, an Italian Catholic priest who had been helping tribal groups was shot and killed as he was leaving his parish in Arakan.

In September, Oranza said police recovered and defused an improvised bomb planted near the school's flagpole.

Islamic Separatists on a Rampage in the Philippines

 

Government soldiers take part in a firefight with Muslim rebels from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Zamboanga city in southern Philippines. © Reuters

Let me ask you...have you heard ONE THING about this on your NBC or ABC or CNN?  Hell no.  American media cannot possibly bring the American people the truth about Islam across this planet.

The story comes from The Clarion Project.

Islamic Separatists on a Rampage in the Philippines


As the world focuses on the conflict in Syria, the recent attacks by Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines goes largely unnoticed.

With much of the world’s attention focused on Syria, its chemical weapons (CW), and the various Islamic factions and their big power sponsors which are facing off against one another in that civil war, half the globe away, few have noticed that another country and its mostly Christian population also are facing the savagery of Muslim jihadis.

On 9 September 2013, hundreds of heavily armed fighters belonging to the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) attacked the largely Christian coastal city of Zamboanga City on the Filipino island of Mindanao, took hostages, and announced their intention to march on City Hall to declare an independent Islamic state.

MNLF leadership demanded that either the United Nations or the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC, the 57-member pro-sharia head of state organization of all Islamic countries plus the Palestinians) be brought in to negotiate with them.

Thousands of Philippine troops arrived to confront the rebels, sending some 13,000 local inhabitants fleeing from the fighting, even as two other allied groups of Muslim fighters attacked a second province on Basilan Island on 12 September. There, in Basilan Province, the combined forces of Abu Sayyaf (long an al Qaeda affiliate) and the more recently-formed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters attacked Filipino government forces, giving rise to concerns about a widening of the Islamic insurgent threat. All of these Islamic jihadist groups are committed to armed struggle to establish an Islamic state in the southern Philippines.

Despite sporadic peace talks between the Philippines’ jihadist groups and the government that have been on-again-off-again since at least the 1990s, this most recent fighting broke out on adjacent islands over the same separatist demands that have instigated earlier violence.

Although Islam first reached the Philippine islands peacefully in the 14th century with Muslim traders arriving from points further west, within a century, jihad launched from the various sultanates of Borneo had subjugated the southern Filipino island of Mindanao forcibly to Islam. While the rest of the Philippines was colonized by the Spaniards from the 16th century and became Christian, these southern islands remained Muslim; the Spanish called the inhabitants “Moros,” the Spanish word for “Moors,” referring to the Muslim conquerors who ruled the Iberian Peninsula for some eight centuries.

The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) is an Islamic rebel separatist group that formed in the Mindanao region in 1969. Its red battle flag features the crescent moon, star, and sword of Islam.

An observer member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) since 1977, the MNLF has spawned a number of violent jihadist off-shoots, including the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the al-Qa’eda-linked Abu Sayyaf Group, and the MNLF Executive Council (or “15EC”).

Although MILF leadership denies affiliation with al Qaeda or that it supports Abu Sayyaf, according to Jane’s Intelligence Review, hundreds of MILF fighters trained in al-Qa’eda camps in Afghanistan during the 1980s. Likewise, arrested Jemaah Islamiyya fighters have admitted training in MILF camps, although its own base of operations is Indonesia.

According to reports, some 150,000 people have died over the course of a four-decade long Muslim insurgency in the southern Philippines.

Philippine Air Strike Hits Total Paydirt Killing 15 Islamic Terrorists and a Who's Who of Wanted Leaders

It's not often we even SEE a report of the Philippines military taking action against the very real islamic terrorists in their country but considering WHO they took out in this new air strike makes it impossible NOT to report the incident.

From the report at The Long War Journal:

The Philippine Air Force force killed a senior Jemaah Islamiyah leader, a top Abu Sayyaf Group commander, and 13 others, including a wanted Singaporean terrorist, during an airstrike in Sulu province.

Zulkifli bin Hir, one of the most wanted leaders of the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah; Umbra Jumdail, a senior Abu Sayyaf commander, and his son Teng; and Muhamad Ali, another wanted JI operative, were all killed in the early morning today in an airstrike, according to the country's top military commander.

Chief of Staff General Jessie Dellosa said the 3 a.m. airstrike targeted a camp in the village of Duyan Kabaw in Parang in the southern province of Sulu. Dellosa expressed certainty that the terrorist leaders had been killed even though the military was not in possession of the dead bodies.

"I am sure because I will not easily issue a statement here," he said, according to Inquirer News. "We have intelligence people and locals in the area."

A military spokesman said the strike, which was carried out by two OV-10 Broncos, light military attack aircraft used in counterinsurgency operations, was the result of months of intelligence gathering. Several 500-pound bombs were dropped on the terrorists' camp. No civilians were reported to have been killed in the strike.

You can tell from this report that the Philippines military had perfect intelligence on this and it was decided that they simply would not allow anyone to survive from this camp - this must have been an incredible scene late at night when the bombs rained down on the jihadis.

To take out that many terrorist leaders at one time is amazing in any setting - I have to be honest, there have been similar gatherings of Taliban leadership in Pakistan from time to time that I have dreamt of the same sort of attack taking place.

Philippine military kills wanted Jemaah Islamiyah, Abu Sayyaf operatives in airstrike


The Philippine Air Force force killed a senior Jemaah Islamiyah leader, a top Abu Sayyaf Group commander, and 13 others, including a wanted Singaporean terrorist, during an airstrike in Sulu province.

Zulkifli bin Hir, one of the most wanted leaders of the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah; Umbra Jumdail, a senior Abu Sayyaf commander, and his son Teng; and Muhamad Ali, another wanted JI operative, were all killed in the early morning today in an airstrike, according to the country's top military commander.

Chief of Staff General Jessie Dellosa said the 3 a.m. airstrike targeted a camp in the village of Duyan Kabaw in Parang in the southern province of Sulu. Dellosa expressed certainty that the terrorist leaders had been killed even though the military was not in possession of the dead bodies.

"I am sure because I will not easily issue a statement here," he said, according to Inquirer News. "We have intelligence people and locals in the area."

A military spokesman said the strike, which was carried out by two OV-10 Broncos, light military attack aircraft used in counterinsurgency operations, was the result of months of intelligence gathering. Several 500-pound bombs were dropped on the terrorists' camp. No civilians were reported to have been killed in the strike.

The operation was "based on a thorough, well-executed plan and months of continuous monitoring and surveillance of JI and ASG personalities," Colonel Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr., a military spokesman, said during a briefing, Inquirer News reported. In early January, a senior general disclosed that the military was engaged in operations in Sulu hunting for Hir; Muhamad Ali; Qayim and Sa'ad, two Indonesians; and Amin Baco, who is thought to be a Malaysian national.

Although no US involvement in the strike has been reported, US Special Forces are based in the Philippines to aid the government and military in their fight against the al Qaeda-linked groups and to assist in humanitarian efforts. The Philippine constitution prohibits US troops from engaging in combat operations in the country.

Zulkifli bin Hir, a Malaysian national known as "Marwan," is wanted by the US government, which has a $5 million reward out for information leading to his capture. Hir is "an engineer trained in the United States" and "is believed to be the head of the Kumpulun Mujahidin Malaysia (KMM) terrorist organization and a member of Jemaah Islamiyah's central command," according to the US State Department's Rewards for Justice website. He is believed to have been sheltering in the Philippines since 2003 and has served as a bomb maker for the Abu Sayyaf Group.

Umbra Jumdail, a senior Abu Sayyaf Group commander who is also known as Doc Abu, is wanted by both the US government, which has offered a $140,000 reward for information leading to his capture, and the Philippine government. He has been involved in numerous kidnappings and assassinations.

Muhamad Ali, a Singaporean national also known as Mauwiya Anjala, is a Jemaah Islamiyah leader who is also wanted by the US, which has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to his capture.

Jemaah Islamiyah is an Islamist terrorist group that seeks to establish a pan-Islamic state across Southeast Asia. Jemaah Islamiyah is most active in Indonesia and the Philippines, but also conducts operations in Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia. The terror group is al Qaeda's regional affiliate in Southeast Asia and its operatives have been responsible for devastating attacks in the region, including the 2002 and 2005 Bali bombings, the 2004 suicide car bombing outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, the August 2003 car bombing of the JW Marriott hotel in Jakarta, and a series of bombings in Manila.

The terror group has suffered major setbacks inside Indonesia, with many of its top leaders killed or captured over the past several years. Among them are Dulmatin, a top leader and military commander (killed in 2010); and Noordin Mohammed Top, a senior leader, recruiter, strategist, and fundraiser (killed in 2009). Umar Patek, a top JI leader, was captured in March 2010 in Abbottabad, Pakistan, just months before al Qaeda emir Osama bin Laden was killed in the same city in a US special operations raid. Abu Bakir Bashir, the terror group's founder, is currently in prison for founding, financing, and supporting al Qaeda in Aceh.

The Abu Sayyaf Group is a Philippines-based terrorist and criminal gang formed by fighters who returned from the Afghan jihad against the Soviet Union. The group was funded and financed by Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, one of Osama bin Laden's brother-in-laws, according to Khaddafy Janjalani, the leader of Abu Sayyaf before he was killed in 2006. Khalifa, an al Qaeda financier and facilitator, was killed by US special operations forces in Madagascar in 2006.

Christian Elder In the Philippines Is Shot Then Beheaded By Muslims

A Christian church elder in the Philippines was hunted down, shot and killed on his farm in November in the Philippines...and after his killing, his Muslim attackers decided to chop off his head with his own machete.

From the article at the Canada Free Press:

MacArthur Arbado, an elder at the Bible Baptist Church in Carmen, Cotabato, was murdered on November 10 as he returned to his farm. The attackers shot him in the leg, back and abdomen before decapitating him with his own machete. MacArthur leaves behind his wife, Lolita, and 13 children.

Although his farm was surrounded by land owned by Muslims, he had a good relationship with his neighbours. He learned to speak their language and was called “uncle” by many. Often his Muslim friends tried to convert him to Islam, but he stood firm in his faith and talked with them about Christianity. MacArthur’s killers are thought to be members of a separatist Muslim group in the area. VOM has met with MacArthur’s family and provided some assistance.

So, this elderly man spent his life as a practicing Christian and since some of his Muslim neighbors felt he really needed to throw his faith away and convert to a fake religion and he refused, he is killed and desecrated. All in the name of allah, of course.

Church elder killed in Mindanao, Philippines


MacArthur Arbado, an elder at the Bible Baptist Church in Carmen, Cotabato, was murdered on November 10 as he returned to his farm. The attackers shot him in the leg, back and abdomen before decapitating him with his own machete. MacArthur leaves behind his wife, Lolita, and 13 children.

Although his farm was surrounded by land owned by Muslims, he had a good relationship with his neighbours. He learned to speak their language and was called “uncle” by many. Often his Muslim friends tried to convert him to Islam, but he stood firm in his faith and talked with them about Christianity. MacArthur’s killers are thought to be members of a separatist Muslim group in the area. VOM has met with MacArthur’s family and provided some assistance.

Please pray that God will comfort Lolita, her children, and the church. Pray that, as sufferings overflow, their comfort in Christ will be more than enough for them (2 Corinthians 1:5). Pray that the perpetrators of this attack will repent and turn to Jesus Christ.

14 Yr Old American Boy Escapes From Al Qaeda-linked Captors In the Philippines, Safe After 5 Months As Hostage

This really is an incredible story as 14 year old Kevin Lunsmann, an American teenager who has been a hostage of the al Qaeda-linked Islamic terror group in the Philippines for five months, outwitted his captors and escaped. In an amazing feat of wit and bravery, this young man is now safe and will be reunited with this family.

From the article at Emirates 24/7 we see just how young Kevin got away:

A kidnapped American teenage boy escaped from suspected Al Qaeda-linked militants and wandered without shoes for two days in a southern Philippine jungle before villagers found him, ending his five-month captivity, officials said Sunday.

Kevin Lunsmann, 14, told his four armed captors that he would take a bath in a stream and then made a dash for freedom Friday in Basilan province, police Senior Supt. Edwin de Ocampo said. He followed a river down a mountain until villagers found him late the next day, de Ocampo said.

Exhausted, hungry and still stunned, the boy initially fled from the villagers, de Ocampo said.

"He was in fear so there was a bit of a chase before the villagers convinced him that they were friends," de Ocampo told The Associated Press. He said the boy was fine, but was exhausted and had bruises on his arms and feet.

Obviously, this is one lucky young man and all of America rejoices in his freedom. It also points to the growing risk Americans are facing in ANY foreign country they find themselves in - hell, we even have warnings about Americans traveling just south into Mexico.

US hostage escapes in Philippine jungle


A kidnapped American teenage boy escaped from suspected Al Qaeda-linked militants and wandered without shoes for two days in a southern Philippine jungle before villagers found him, ending his five-month captivity, officials said Sunday.

Kevin Lunsmann, 14, told his four armed captors that he would take a bath in a stream and then made a dash for freedom Friday in Basilan province, police Senior Supt. Edwin de Ocampo said. He followed a river down a mountain until villagers found him late the next day, de Ocampo said.

Exhausted, hungry and still stunned, the boy initially fled from the villagers, de Ocampo said.

"He was in fear so there was a bit of a chase before the villagers convinced him that they were friends," de Ocampo told The Associated Press. He said the boy was fine, but was exhausted and had bruises on his arms and feet.

Initial reports had said the boy was freed by his captors.

Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat said he has been flown to Manila and turned over to U.S. officials there.

US Ambassador Harry Thomas said the boy would be reunited with his family soon.

"In this holiday season nothing makes me happier than knowing that an innocent victim is returned to his family in time for holiday celebrations," Thomas said in a statement. "I also want to acknowledge the courage of Kevin himself, and his family, throughout this long ordeal."

Thomas said there would be a "speedy investigation and prosecution of all those involved in the kidnapping of American citizens."

Lobregat said the boy has talked by phone with his Filipino-American mother, Gerfa Yeatts Lunsmann, who was in the United States. He, his mother and a Filipino cousin were vacationing with relatives on an island near Zamboanga City when they were snatched July 12 and taken by boat to nearby Basilan.

The captors then called the family in Campbell County, Virginia, to demand a ransom, officials said.

The mother was freed two months ago after she was dropped off by boat at a wharf on Basilan. The boy's Filipino cousin escaped from their captors last month when Filipino army forces managed to get near an Abu Sayyaf camp in the mountains of Basilan, about 550 miles (880 kilometers) south of Manila.

Lobregat said he was unaware if any ransom changed hands.

Army Col. Ricardo Visaya said the kidnappers were believed led by Abu Sayyaf militant Puruji Indama, who is notorious for ransom kidnappings and beheadings. Troops were hunting down the militants and clashed with one group in Akbar town, near Lamitan, which may have distracted the kidnappers and gave Lunsmann a chance to flee, he said.

When Visaya asked the boy if he was freed, which would indicate that ransom was paid, or escaped, Lunsmann replied that he fled from his captors. "No, I really did it myself," he quoted Lunsmann as telling him. Visaya said he later handed the boy to American troops based in Basilan.

Ransom kidnappings have long been a problem in the impoverished region and are blamed mostly on the Abu Sayyaf, an al-Qaida-linked group on a list of US terrorist organizations, and its allied armed groups. The militants are notorious for kidnappings, beheadings and bombings.

The Abu Sayyaf, which has less than 400 armed fighters, was founded on Basilan in the 1990s as an offshoot of a violent Muslim insurgency that has been raging for decades. Hundreds of US troops have been stationed in the southern Philippines, including Basilan, to train and equip Philippine forces but are barred from local combat.

On Monday, suspected militants abducted Australian Warren Richard Rodwell, 53, from his seaside house in Zamboanga Sibugay province, near Basilan.

The Abu Sayyaf are believed to be still holding an Indian, a Malaysian and a Japanese in their jungle strongholds on Jolo island, near Basilan.

Al Qaeda-linked Philippine Islamic Terrorist Group Abu Sayyaff Kills 7 Philippine Soldiers, Wound 21

Seven Philippine soldiers were killed and 21 were wounded. - AFP (File Photo)

Just a reminder folks that the Philippines doesn't get a pass from islamic terror either as Philippine troops in a nighttime operation against the terror group Abu Sayyaf found themselves in the middle of a terrorist camp and the results were not good at all - the result was 7 dead Philippine troops and 21 wounded.

From the report at DAWN:

Seven Philippine soldiers were killed and 21 were wounded in fierce clashes with al Qaeda-linked Islamic militants in the southern Philippines on Thursday, the military said.

The soldiers encountered members of the Abu Sayyaf group in one of their hideouts in the forests of Jolo Island before dawn, local military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Randolf Cabangbang told reporters.

“The encounter was fierce and troops encountered a big group of the Abu Sayyaf,” he said, adding extra forces and air support had since been called into the area.

“I think what happened was, the troops were on manoeuvres during the entire night, and in the morning that’s when they realised they were already in the (Abu Sayyaf) camp.

That explains why we have so many casualties,” he said.

Cabangbang said it was believed the militants were under the control of senior Abu Sayyaf figures wanted for previous kidnappings of Americans and Filipinos in the southern Philippines.

The terror group Abu Sayyaf has been in the news in the past mostly for their kidnapping of Westerners and their long demands for ransoms - I can't remember the last time that there's been a report of a significant terror attack by the group but much of that is due to the fact that the group has been pushed into the deepest jungles of the country.

But, as you can see from this report, this had to be a really large concentration of Abu Sayyaf to be able to do this much damage to what appears to be a large military contingent. I'm guessing that by now the Philippine military is probably doing a bit of "jungle deforestation" at this camp.

Abu Sayyaf kills seven Philippine soldiers: military


ZAMBOANGA, Philippines: Seven Philippine soldiers were killed and 21 were wounded in fierce clashes with al Qaeda-linked Islamic militants in the southern Philippines on Thursday, the military said.

The soldiers encountered members of the Abu Sayyaf group in one of their hideouts in the forests of Jolo Island before dawn, local military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Randolf Cabangbang told reporters.

“The encounter was fierce and troops encountered a big group of the Abu Sayyaf,” he said, adding extra forces and air support had since been called into the area.

Cabangbang said it appeared the soldiers stumbled into a major Abu Sayyaf camp as they chased a small group of the militants.

“I think what happened was, the troops were on manoeuvres during the entire night, and in the morning that’s when they realised they were already in the (Abu Sayyaf) camp.

That explains why we have so many casualties,” he said.

Cabangbang said it was believed the militants were under the control of senior Abu Sayyaf figures wanted for previous kidnappings of Americans and Filipinos in the southern Philippines.

One of those leaders is Isnilon Hapilon, the subject of a dollar 5-million-dollar reward from the US government for information leading to his capture.

Another is Radullan Sahiron, an ageing Abu Sayyaf figure who has a dollar 1-million-dollar bounty on his head and is easily distinguished because he lost his right hand fighting security forces in the 1970s.

However Cabangbang said it was not clear whether Hapilon and Sahiron were directly involved in Thursday’s clashes.

He also said the military was not yet able to say if there were any Abu Sayyaf casualties.

The Abu Sayyaf, a small gang of self-styled Islamist militants founded in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda network, is blamed for the country’s worst terrorist attacks.

These include the bombing of a passenger ferry in Manila Bay in 2004 that killed more than 100 people, as well as a string of high-profile abductions targeting foreigners and locals.

Hundreds of US troops have been deployed on Jolo and other parts of the southern Philippines since 2002 to help eliminate the Abu Sayyaf.

However they are only allowed to train Filipino soldiers, and not engage in any combat operations.

The Philippine and US militaries have described their joint operations in the south as a success, saying the Abu Sayyaf threat has diminished and their militant numbers are down to just a few hundred.

However incidents such as Thursday’s clashes show the Abu Sayyaf remains able to conduct deadly operations.

There have also been a string of kidnappings in the south in recent months that authorities suspect have involved the Abu Sayyaf.

The military and police blamed the Abu Sayyaf for kidnapping a Malaysian trader on Jolo in May. The kidnappers have demanded eight million pesos (dollar 185,000) for his release.

The Abu Sayyaf was also blamed for kidnapping an Indian man who was visiting his Filipina wife’s hometown on Jolo last month. No ransom demand, if any, has been made public.

Bus Is Bombed In Philippines, 4 Killed...Officials Think It Might Be Terrorism...(good grief)

I suppose there's an outside chance that Communists in the Philippines placed a bomb on a bus this morning that went off killing 4 people but since Islam has been on such a roll for the past 10 years, my wager is on an islamic terror group being responsible.

The bomb (or as described by officials as an IED) was placed under a seat in the bus then detonated.

From the report at Reuters via Breitbart:

A bomb exploded on a bus in the Philippine capital on Tuesday, killing four people and wounding 14, and officials said they could not rule out terrorism as they began an investigation into the blast.

Several rebel groups including communists and Islamists are battling security forces in various parts of the Philippines, a staunch U.S. ally, but attacks in Manila are rare.

The explosion happened at around 2 p.m. (1 a.m. EST) when the bus was on a highway in the main business district of Makati, as it was nearing a railway station.

"It's an IED, improvised explosive device," Nicanor Bartolome, head of the National Capital Region police, told reporters.

"The affected area is the sixth row, right side of the bus. Apparently the explosive was placed underneath the passenger seat, because the effect of the explosion was massive in that area."

Things have actually been fairly quiet in the Philippines lately and now that I come to think of it, it seems like it's been awhile since islamists in Thailand have knocked off a group or two of Buddhist monks but this certainly has the markings of an islamic terror attack.

Have you ever noticed how it just never ends? Moscow yesterday....Philippines today...Pakistan two days ago and tomorrow....well, who the hell knows?

Four dead in Manila bus bombing; investigation starts


(Reuters) - A bomb exploded on a bus in the Philippine capital on Tuesday, killing four people and wounding 14, and officials said they could not rule out terrorism as they began an investigation into the blast.

Several rebel groups including communists and Islamists are battling security forces in various parts of the Philippines, a staunch U.S. ally, but attacks in Manila are rare.

The explosion happened at around 2 p.m. (1 a.m. EST) when the bus was on a highway in the main business district of Makati, as it was nearing a railway station.

"It's an IED, improvised explosive device," Nicanor Bartolome, head of the National Capital Region police, told reporters.

"The affected area is the sixth row, right side of the bus. Apparently the explosive was placed underneath the passenger seat, because the effect of the explosion was massive in that area."

President Benigno Aquino, who was due to speak at a hotel in Makati on Tuesday evening, said an investigation would determine whether the explosion was caused by a bomb and "does it ... point to a particular group that is fond of using that particular method of terrorizing the community".

The bombing came about three months after a number of foreign embassies had warned of a heightened risk of attacks in the Philippines, including the capital, which the government had said was not warranted.

Aquino said no country was immune from the terrorist threat, and security forces would review their risk assessments.

"There were reports that they may have plans, but the assessment is they lack the capability, they lack the resources, they lack the support from those who can help with safe houses, those who can help secure their materials. I've asked for a review how this happened," he told a media briefing.

"I have my suspicions but as president of the republic, I cannot engage in rumors; there has to be evidence," he said, adding he would not pressure investigators for quick answers.

Traffic on the northbound lanes of the EDSA highway came to a standstill as investigators searched for evidence, causing large delays across the metropolis that were set to worsen as city workers returned home. Trains were running as normal.

REBELS, INSURGENCIES

The explosion came six years after a similar incident in Manila that killed six people. Abu Sayyaf, a Muslim rebel group linked to Al Qaeda, had claimed responsibility for that blast and two other bombings in the south of the country on February 14, 2005, that killed 13 people and wounded more than 150.

Abu Sayyaf also claimed responsibility for a February 2004 bombing of a ferry near Manila Bay that killed more than 100 people, and bombings in Manila on December 30, 2000, that killed 22 people and wounded nearly 100.

Remote southern islands in the Philippines have become a sanctuary for camps and training bases of Southeast Asian Islamist militants aligned with the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiah groups.

Intelligence reports say about 50 Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean militants have been hiding on the southern island of Mindanao and nearby islands of Basilan and Jolo since early 2000.

The Philippines has been trying to end two long-running insurgencies by Muslim separatists and Maoist rebels. Peace talks with both groups are due to restart next month.

Last year, security forces said a splinter group of Muslim separatists was behind a bus attack on Mindanao that killed 10 people. There have also been bombings in the south related to extortion gangs and political or clan disputes.

The Philippines Breaks Rule #1....Never Sit Down and Negotiate With Islamic Terrorists

You'd think that the government of the Philippines would have enough world examples of why NOT to sit down to peace talks with a group of radical islamic terrorists but apparently, the Philippines leaders think they can pull a goat out of their hat. From the article at Breitbart:

The Philippine government and the Muslim secessionist rebels announced Wednesday that they will resume formal peace negotiations Dec. 8-9 in Malaysia.
"The formation of the International Contact Group finally clears the way for the formal resumption of the peace talks, and the panels agreed to resume the conduct of the peace negotiations," government panel chair Rafael Seguis and Moro Islamic Liberation Front chairman Mohagher Iqbal said in a joint statement.

With the hard lesson that Pakistan just learned over the last two years....where they submitted to peace negotiations with the Taliban and paid the dear price for those negotiations with evil, it's hard to believe that another government in the region would make the same mistake. Perhaps the Philippine government needs to review what has happened over the ages whenever Israel bowed to pressure and sat down to try and talk with the likes of the PA and Hamas.

So let me give the Philippine government a preview of what is going to go down in these peace talks:

1. The Philippine government will have to give the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) hundreds of millions of dollars in "aid" to the poor muslim sections of the country


2. The Philippine government will have to agree not to have any military forces in the muslim areas of the south


3. The Philippine government will have to issue a statement that they have oppressed the MILF


4. The Philippine government will have to dismantle their defense forces within 100 miles of the MILF front


5. The MILF will promise not to kill and maim civilians and Philippine troops ...unless they deem it necessary

I'll take any wager from ANYONE on the success of these negotiations - I've said it here a thousand times....you cannot negotiate with islamists. Why not? Because, as islamists, they are sure they are 100% in the right, it is written in their "book." They are charged with conquest of infidels and those that don't agree with them. So, I guess the world needs another lesson in why not to sit down with terrorists. Hopefully, this won't cost the Philippine government hundreds of dead troops and hundreds of dead civilians but I wouldn't bet on it.

I figure that during these talks with the MILF, the government will be referred to as the "GILF" ....the Government I'd Like (to) Fuck (over).

Philippine gov't, Muslim rebels to resume talks next
week+

MANILA, Dec. 2 (AP) - (Kyodo)—The Philippine government and the Muslim
secessionist rebels announced Wednesday that they will resume formal peace
negotiations Dec. 8-9 in Malaysia.
"The formation of the International
Contact Group finally clears the way for the formal resumption of the peace
talks, and the panels agreed to resume the conduct of the peace
negotiations,"
government panel chair Rafael Seguis and Moro Islamic
Liberation Front chairman
Mohagher Iqbal said in a joint statement.
The
ICG, composed of members
mutually agreed upon by the government and the
MILF, was established Sept. 15 in
Kuala Lumpur to break the deadlock in the
11-year on-and-off talks between the
government and the MILF, the country's
largest Muslim secessionist group with
about 12,000 members.
The joint
statement said the ICG is "initially
composed" of representatives from
Japan, Britain and Turkey as member-countries,
and the San Francisco-based
Asia Foundation, the Geneva-based Center for
Humanitarian Dialogue, the
London-based charity Conciliation Resources, and
Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's
largest Islamic organization, as international
nongovernmental organization
members.
Malaysia will facilitate the talks in
Kuala Lumpur that are
hoped to usher in peace and prosperity in the
Muslim-dominated areas of the
restive southern Philippine island of Mindanao.
Philippine President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo had earlier described the ICG
as a group that "can give
advice on how to go about bringing about an agreement
that will be
acceptable to all."
The Philippine government wants to include
Indonesia, Spain and Saudi Arabia in the ICG but the idea has been rejected
by
the MILF.
Peace talks between the government and the MILF have been
stalled
since August last year.
Since then renegade MILF commanders and
their
supporters have staged attacks in central Mindanao, killing about a
hundred
people and displacing thousands.

Philippine President Target of Al Qaeda Backed Assasination Plot

Two al Qaeda backed jihadist groups in the Philippines were targeting Philippine President Arroyo - Abu Sayyaf group and its Indonesia-based ally, Jemaah Islamiyah. A military chief in the Philippines said that other individuals were targeted as well as foreign embassies.
A visit to a northern city by Arroyo was cancelled so there is the speculation that the attempt was planned for that visit.
Perhaps al Qaeda and its splinter groups like these two felt bringing down another woman would get them the attention that was gained out of the Bhutto assassination. The Philippines as well as Thailand have been favorite targets for a long time now although the al Qaeda influence there has not been reported to much degree - the MSM's ignorance of attacks in these two countries has been glaring.
What this does prove is that difficulty in completely gutting a country of these factions - the Philippines is not that large a country and one would think a sweep of the land by military and special forces could remove these jihadists but this has been going on for years. Imagine the challenges the U.S. and Iraq will have in completely ridding a much larger country like Iraq of this kind of scourge.

Here's the full story from Yahoo.

Officials: Arroyo target of plot

MANILA, Philippines - Militants linked to al-Qaida plotted to assassinate the Philippine president and bomb foreign embassies, officials said Thursday.

Opposition groups dismissed the allegation as government scare tactics to prevent people from joining protests Friday to demand Arroyo's resignation over corruption charges.
Brig. Gen. Romeo Prestoza, head of the Presidential Security Group, said police uncovered the plot last week. "It's not only the president who is the target, but also other people ... and embassies," he said without offering specifics.
The alleged plot was also to involve a sniper shooting the president, Esperon said.
A U.S. Embassy spokeswoman said officials there were aware of media reports that foreign embassies had been targeted but would not comment further. She spoke on condition of anonymity in line with policy.
The officials did not specify when the attacks were expected to occur. But Prestoza said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's attendance at an alumni homecoming of the Philippine Military Academy on Saturday in northern Baguio city has been canceled and the rest of her schedule was "under assessment."
Earlier, the military had announced that security forces would go on high alert over an alleged communist rebel plan to infiltrate the protests.

Philippine Troops Capture Senior Abu Sayyaf Leader

This is a big catch for the Philippines anti-terrorist forces. Abu Sayyaf is the al Qaeda linked and financially backed islamic jihadist group in the Philippines. The senior leader, Tuatin Anahaly, has been highly sought and has had a very sizeable bounty on his head, especially after some kidnappings of some Americans - two of those American tourists were later killed by Abu Sayyaf.
Hopefully, the Philippine counter-jihadists will find a treasure trove of intel coming from the lips of Anahaly and can finally make some real progress in gutting the nasty group of Abu Sayyaf.

Full story here.

Islamic group arrested for murder of tourists


PHILIPPINE troops have arrested a senior Islamic militant over the kidnapping and killing of a group of tourists in 2001, a military statement said.
Soldiers backed by police raided a hideout of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group in southern Margosatubig island yesterday, the statement said.
Troops arrested Abu Sayyaf commander Tuatin Anahaly and seized a cache of weapons including a pistol that he was carrying, near the city of Zamboanga.
Anahaly has been on the run since a two million peso ($A55,000) bounty was placed on this head over his role in the abduction of three Americans and a group of Filipinos from a resort off western Palawan island.
Five of the hostages, including two of the Americans, were later killed.

Justice! Philippine Al Qaeda Scum Get Life In Prison

Okay, I was hoping for the death penalty for these pieces of garbage but I'll take life in prison! Fourteen al Qaeda linked islamists in the Philippines who had kidnapped 2 American missionaries (and 18 others) were sentenced to life in prison terms.

If you recall, this is the missionary couple where the wife survived but her husband was killed when Philippine military tried a rescue operation. These al Qaeda excrement heaps had blood on their hands and now they have the rest of their soul-less days on this earth to pace a prison cell.

And they got off easy.

Full story is here.

Today: December 06, 2007 at 12:15:5 PST
Philippine Court Convicts 14 Militants
By JIM GOMEZAssociated Press Writer

MANILA, Philippines (AP) -
Fourteen al-Qaida-linked Muslim militants were sentenced to life in prison Thursday for kidnapping a U.S. missionary couple and 18 others, beginning a yearlong jungle ordeal that prompted U.S.-backed offensives against the guerrillas.
Gracia Burnham survived, but her husband Martin was killed during a military rescue in 2002. Another American captive, Guillermo Sobero of Corona, Calif., had been beheaded earlier by the Abu Sayyaf rebels.
Most of the top leaders of the Abu Sayyaf, which orchestrated the abductions at a resort island, have been killed in clashes since the trial opened in 2003. Philippine officials have credited the U.S. counterterrorism training that started in 2002 for many of the battlefield successes.
"We commend the justice system for showing the rule of law," said Robert Courtney, the Justice Department's attache at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. He said he would relay the decision to Mrs. Burnham.

Out of 85 suspects originally charged with kidnapping, 23 were captured and tried, and 18 appeared in court.
Four were acquitted Thursday. Four others were killed in a botched prison break in 2005, and one has been cleared of charges.
Among those acquitted was the only woman in the group, Star Till, the sister of rebel leader Abu Serbia, who was killed by troops after the abductions.
"I'm so happy. Thanks to Allah! I'm taking my daughter home," said her mother, Assure Churning. "She was never a terrorist."