You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Terror Networks
US greased ransom payment to Abu Sayyaf
2002-03-26
  • The U.S. government facilitated a ransom payment to Al Qaeda-linked terrorists in the Philippines last week for the release of an American couple but the two have not been freed, Fox News has learned. The ransom of up to $3 million was paid to Abu Sayyaf guerrillas who have been holding two American missionaries, Paul Burnham and his wife, Gracia, for the last 10 months. The ransom was paid with private, not government, money, sources said. Speaking to reporters Monday, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld would not comment on the revelation, nor would officials with the FBI or the U.S. State Department.
    What a dumb idea. Sometimes it may be expedient to pay a ransom, like when you expect to get the money back within an hour or two by picking it off the dead bodies of the kidnappers. But never, ever, should a government - especially our own, if only because we live here - admit to paying ransom or even greasing it. Our public stance should always be "millions for defense, not one cent for tribute." Our bargain should be "release the hostages alive and we won't kill you. Otherwise, worse for you than it was for them."
    That means the US government didn't expedite the payment. No telling how many Philipine palms were greased getting the payola to the thugs. If so, this is merely business as usual.
    Posted by Tom Roberts 3/26/2002 7:31:24 PM
    • Posted by:Fred Pruitt

    00:00