*** Philippines: Report - Abu Sayyaf hostage Martin Burnham killed, Gracia rescued ***

AFP via Babelfish translation ^ | June 7, 2002

[Carolina]

Richard Holbrook was on CSPAN. He was criticizing President Bush and stated that he could see no reason why we had troops in the Philippines since there were no terrorists there at all.

Richard Holbrook, another hallowed Klintoonista spouting off.

[repubmom]

I'm having a hard time with this - I'm so glad Gracia is safe but am heartbroken about Martin and Deborah Yap. Huge prayers for Gracia's recovery - emotionally and physically.

[repubmom]

thanks for the verse - I'm crying so hard I can hardly type! The verse puts it in perspective.

[repubmom]

thanks for the bump - I didn't see it and posted another one....

[mikhailovich]

Maybe the silver lining is the Flips can now take these cowards on, head-first.

[Registered]

I'm not ready for U.S. troops to go in and take over in every country on the globe to save American citizens.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends " John 15:13

[cake_crumb]

I don't have the words to describe how shameful it is that the Phillipine army was unable to save Martin as well.

Thank heaven Gracia survived - surly a accident on the part of the "good guys". I pray she be given the emotional strength to recover from this ordeal.

[kayak]

Prayers for Gracia that she may recover fully from this unimaginable horror and prayers for the children. Lord, receive Your children Martin and Ediborah into Your loving arms.

[withteeth]

They'd been caught in cross fire before, giving one another reassurance and love.

Gracia Burnham is free. Martin's ordeal is finished. We should give thanks.

It is heartbreaking about the nurse, too. Didn't they force her to 'marry' one of the terrorists?

[Criminal Number 18F]

The stinking Philippine government wouldn't allow our guys to go them. Jerks.

Whoah, whoah,whoah, there.The Filipinos from the corporals and sergeants leading these patrols, through the generals, to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (Sure hope I spelled that right!)has asked the US Army Special Forces trainers and other ARSOF troops that are training and advising their military, to join in on and lead the patrols.

The SF advisors from 1st Special Forces Group in Ft. Lewis,WA are certainly eager to do this. The military brass up to the CINCPAC (Commander In Chief, Pacific) have supported the request (in fact a new CINCPAC just took over from the old one and renewed CINCPAC support for this.

Just the other day, SecDef Don Rumsfeld said he was sympathetic to the request but he needed more information to make a decision -- the stuff they have shown him so far hasn't been convincing. For the time being the American advisors are not allowed any closer to the action than the battalion level command posts, or FOBs (Forward Operating Bases).

This is hardly the fault of the Filipinos. They are 90% + Christian and most of the 5% that is Muslim (all in the southern islands) does not support these terrorists either.

And the whole point of having Special Forces is to train our allies (whether governments like Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo's or resistance movements like the Northern Alliance in Taliban-era Afghanistan) to take most of the responsibility for their own security. A good SF man works himself out of a job.

Secondly, we don't know a lot of facts at this time. For instance:

• is this report of one dead and one wounded accurate?
• If so, is Mrs. Burnham going to be OK? She's not a young woman and has been malnourished and mistreated while in captivity.
• What kind of losses did the Filipinos take?
• Did they get all the Abu Sayyaf (Father of the Sword) terrorists? Or did some get away? This may sound cold, but in the long term it is more important to kill the terrorists than it is to free the hostages.
• Was this a planned raid or an accidental encounter?
• Who actually shot the hostages? Rescuers, or terrorists?

Let's not be so quick on the trigger to say the Filipinos messed up. Hostage rescue is very hard. It is not like TV! It is probably the toughest mission you can get in special ops, except maybe to snatch a person who doesn't want to be snatched (but can't be harmed), or to snatch a nuclear weapon.

If this report is true, the Filipinos may have lost one hostage but they already have a better record than the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team.

I hope Gracia Burnham recovers. What she and Martin did was very courageous, but -- as you see -- very risky.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[aristeides]

FYI. The hostages were being held on Mindanao, not Basilan.

[homeschool mama]

**Lord, receive Your children Martin and Ediborah into Your loving arms. **

I agree in prayer with you, kayak.

O Lord, I pray Your Holy Spirit would be poured out on Gracia at this moment. During the time she was held by terrorists You were with her, and her dear husband, and sweet Deborah Yap. Even now Lord, in bittersweet knowledge you've taken Martin and Deborah to be with You at Your appointed time, minister to Gracia and her loved ones. Hold them close. Give the doctors wisdom and skill in treating Gracia. Thank you for rescuing her. Amen

[Criminal Number 18F]

Richard Holbrooke

Oh yeah! NOW he's against intervention, when he has stretched our most criical resources thin as hell, babysitting gossamer "peace" initiatives throughout the unstable world.

What a drip that guy is.

The Clinton Administration was like Moe, Larry and Curly do national security and we will be paying the price for years (just like we're still paying for the Carter and LBJ eras of foreign and military policy. And you notice that Carter and MacNamara have also come up sniping. Losers).

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[cake_crumb]

"Sickening depiction.......not even mentioning that the wife was rescued and leaving the impression that our CIA shot them."

Nine months since over 3,000 people met violent ends at the hands of terrorists, MOST OF THEM IN NEW YORK CITY, and media is back to business as usual. Martin Burnham was an American, and he met his death at the hands of terrorists as well. The media makes me sick. R.I.P. Martin. You were a brave man.

I find it interesting that during Republican presidencies, we are told to hate our government and our military.

During Democrat presidencies, we are told the government is our FRIEND.

[texasbluebell]

A few weeks ago Richard Holbrook was on CSPAN. He was criticizing President Bush and stated that he could see no reason why we had troops in the Philippines since there were no terrorists there at all.

It's sickening the amount of lying and deception that comes out of the media, and people like Holbrook.

[mancini]

This is so very sad . . .

[texasbluebell]

So sad for Martin, all that time in captivity and to die at the last moment before freedom. He died tasting freedom though.

[cake_crumb]

So, the US attempt to help Afghans kick a conquering nation out of their country makes the fact that they have turned to a career of terrorism a thousand miles away....somehow our fault.

Their lives. Their choices. Their fault. Grow up.

[Registered]

So sad for Martin

Sad in our minds yes, but glorious in God's. We need to keep things in perspective. Martin was well aware that his life could end this way, and his life and death will be used by God in miraculous ways! We must pray for his family, however, who have suffered this loss, and pray for them to find God's will in all of this.