Posted on 01/07/2005 8:32:20 AM PST by Mike Fieschko
Philippine police say they stopped a planned suicide attack on a crowded Roman Catholic festival by arresting 16 suspected Muslim militants and seizing three homemade bombs on Friday.The arrests come two days ahead of a religious procession in Manila attended by thousands of people every year on 9 January.
Police made the arrests after a raid on a building in Manila.
They said three improvised bombs, a sub-machine gun with a silencer and other weapons were also seized.
Police acted on intelligence reports of a plan for a suicide attack at the religious festival, the Feast of the Black Nazarene.
On Sunday, tens of thousands of Roman Catholics, barefoot and wearing maroon tunics, will parade a cross and statue of Christ through the capital.
The crowd jostles to touch the religious icon, believing it has healing powers. A regular devotee is the country's vice-president, Noli de Castro.
Police say the 16 Filipino suspects are also being questioned about any links to the bombing of a ferry in February 2004 by Abu Sayyaf rebels that killed more than 100 people.
Security forces in this mainly Catholic country are battling long-running Muslim and communist insurgencies.
The Abu Sayyaf is the smallest of several Muslim rebel groups in the southern Philippines. The band has been linked to regional militant network Jemaah Islamiah.
...counting down to the new Crusades...
Bush and Rumsfeld are sitting in a bar... A guy walks in and sees them and is so excited. He goes over and asks them what they're doing in this bar. They say they're planning WWIII and planning on blowing up 140,000 muslims and a blonde with big boobs. The guy says why the blonde with big boobs? Bush says to Rummy, I told you nobody would care about the 140,000 muslims...
What do you call 140,000 muslims at the bottom of the sea?........A good start!
"counting down to the new Crusades"
Remember: Jesus loves you, and Allah wants you dead.
What do you do to people who are willing to DIE in order to KILL YOU? You must kill them first.
Onward to the new Crusades.
LOL!!! Love it! Gotta remember that one... Thanks!
Good news! Knowing some Filipino army guys, those suspects are in for a nice, long 'interrogation' that might use up a truck battery or two...
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