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?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, one question. I want to answer this. Yes?
Q Are you satisfied that the Philippine troops did all they could in the rescue attempt of the Burnhams? And have you contacted their family here at home?
THE PRESIDENT: First, let me say how sad we are that Martin Burnham lost his life. And I will call his parents. I'm pleased that Mrs. Burnham's alive; that's good.
I talked to President Arroyo of the Philippines. She told me that she had called the Burnham parents, and I thanked her for reaching out. She assured me that the Philippine government would hold the terrorist group accountable for how they treated these Americans, that justice would be done.
We are obviously going to look at all the particulars and the facts, and the State Department will be talking about that later on today.
http://www.thekansascitychannel.com/news/3597483/detail.html
"Burnham Leaves Philippines After Testifying"
"Philippine President Praises Burnham's Courage, Determination"
POSTED: 12:23 pm CDT July 30, 2004
UPDATED: 12:44 pm CDT July 30, 2004
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "MANILA, Philippines -- An American missionary who returned to the Philippines to testify against the Muslim rebel captors who held her and her slain husband for more than a year said Friday she hoped her effort would help rid the country of terrorism.
Escorted by FBI agents, Gracia Burnham, 45, left Manila on a U.S.-bound flight a day after recounting in a court how her captors from the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf group used to shackle her husband Martin before he was killed in a bloody June 2002 military rescue operation.
"How I would love to see your fair land free from terror," a smiling Burnham read from a prepared statement at the airport. "It is the wish of so many of us. ... That's why I returned to testify."
She said her testimony "was one thing I could do to make this country and this world a better place."
The Burnhams, of Rose Hill, Kan., and longtime Christian missionaries for the Florida-based New Tribes Mission, were celebrating their 18th wedding anniversary when they were abducted at a resort on western Palawan island on May 27, 2001, and taken by speedboat to southern Basilan island.
Also seized were Guillermo Sobero, of Corona, Calif., and 17 Filipino workers and tourists. Sobero was among several hostages beheaded."