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| Southeast Asia |
| Forces Trail Kidnapped Americans |
| 2002-06-02 |
| U.S. and Filipino forces are getting closer to finding an American couple kidnapped a year ago by Muslim militants, the second in command at the Pentagon said Sunday. ``The trail isn't cold,'' said Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz. Martin and Gracia Burnham, missionaries from Wichita, Kan., are being held by the Abu Sayyaf. About 1,000 U.S. troops are in the Philippines to provide training and other support to the Filipino military forces fighting the militants. Wolfowitz arrived here Sunday to discuss the operation with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He is scheduled Monday to visit some of the troops on the southern island of Basalin. Wolfowitz said U.S. forces are giving the Filipino military special advice on how to locate the Burnhams and what to do once that happens. Green Berets are training Filipino troops in counterterrorism techniques. Other U.S. troops are providing transportation, engineering and additional support functions. He also told reporters that his boss, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, is considering whether to allow American forces to accompany Filipino troops on patrols in their fight against Abu Sayyaf. Maybe the trail hasn't gotten cold, but this is a story that's gotten old and stale. Abu Sayyaf is a lot more a bunch of bandits than they are terrorists. Just find them and kill them and then devote time to Jemaah Islamiyah, where the real danger lies. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |