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| Southeast Asia |
| Suspected Abu Sayyaf Member Arrested |
| 2003-06-25 |
| Authorities have arrested a suspected Abu Sayyaf rebel who allegedly helped kidnap 20 people, including three Americans, three years ago, the military said Tuesday. Samir Hakim was arrested in Manila's Intramuros district on Monday by military and police intelligence agents, military chief of staff Gen. Narciso Abaya said. Hakim, 43, was among the original members of Abu Sayyaf, a Muslim extremist group with alleged ties to al-Qaida. Abaya said he allegedly purchased weapons for the group. He said Hakim was involved in a raid on the Dos Palmas resort in which the rebels seized three Americans and 17 Filipinos. The group killed one American captive. The other Americans, Martin and Gracia Burnham of Wichita, Kan., were held for more than a year. Gracia was brought to safety but here husband was killed in a rescue operation. Last year, the U.S. military conducted a six-month counterterrorism exercise with Filipino troops in the southern Philippines that has been credited with breaking up the main Abu Sayyaf faction and the capture of key members. That training seems to have worked, more please. |
| Posted by:Steve |