Foreign Peace Activists Visit Southern Philippine Island Base of Muslim Extremist Group

ap ^ | Mar 23, 2002 | Jim Gomez

[TomGuy]

Foreign Peace Activists Visit Southern Philippine Island Base of Muslim Extremist Group

By Jim Gomez Associated Press Writer

Published: Mar 23, 2002

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines (AP) - Foreign peace activists visited a southern Philippine island Saturday, bringing a message that dialogue and development, and not an ongoing U.S.-backed war, could eradicate a Muslim extremist group based there.

Organizers said the mission will assess the impact on villagers on Basilan island of the military assault against Abu Sayyaf rebels, who are believed to have links to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network and are holding to American hostages. It will also look for nonviolent solutions to the conflict.

The mission includes about a dozen activists, lawmakers and Muslim scholars from the United States, Australia, Britain, Finland, France, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, and the Philippines. They leave the island Tuesday, organizers said.

The activists said U.S. military involvement in efforts to crush the elusive rebels could exacerbate the conflict. Philippine delegate Walden Bello urged many residents of Basilan and nearby Zamboanga city to reconsider support for a counterterrorism exercise involving U.S. troops and warned of long-term damage of war.

The peace mission faces strong and widespread support for U.S. involvement in the campaign against the Abu Sayyaf, specifically in Basilan and Zamboanga, where the guerrillas are notorious for beheadings, rape, kidnapping and bombings.

A Basilan provincial jail official refused to allow the delegates to interview suspected guerrillas and supporters arrested recently and urged the foreign delegates to get a permit from Gov. Wahab Akbar. The mission also seeks meetings with Philippine civilian and military officials and U.S. officers.

About 160 U.S. Special Forces are in Basilan to train Filipino troops and 50 more are supporting them in the southern and central Philippines. Though banned from fighting, they are armed and have ventured into combat areas to help evacuate and treat Filipino soldiers wounded in recent clashes.

"There is one dreaded word for this - escalation," Bello told a briefing in Zamboanga before traveling by ferry to Basilan.

AP-ES-03-23-02 0601EST

[TomGuy]

guerrillas are notorious for beheadings, rape, kidnapping and bombings

After a long full day out guerrilla-ing -- beheading, raping, kidnapping, bombing -- the foreign peace activists can gather all the guerrillas together for a Kumbaya singalong and hold hands.

Kumbaya
Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya
Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya
Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya
Oh Lord kumbaya

Someone's crying my Lord, kumbaya
Someone's crying my Lord, kumbaya
Someone's crying my Lord, kumbaya
Oh Lord kumbaya

Repeat the verses with someone praying, singing, laughing, or anything else you wish.

We been pillaging Lord, Kumbaya (Oh-oh-oh)
We been bombing Lord, Kumbaya (Oh-oh-oh)
We been beheading Lord, Kumbaya,
Singing Rainstorm, Firewind, Kumbaya.
Kumbaya, kumbaya. (clap, clap)
Kumbaya, kumbaya. (clap, clap)
Kumbaya, kumbaya. (clap, clap)
Kumbaya, kumbaya. (clap, clap)


Sing it, brother and sister!



What does 'Kumbaya' mean?

[JZoback]

Nothing like asking to be taken hostage

Kumbaya my Lord, kumbaya

[wretchard]

This delegation is led by a couple of clowns, Walden Bello and Etta Rosales. Etta Rosales used to head a student Communist front organization. Walden Bello is a leftist of long standing whose latest claim to fame was participating in the Seattle anti-globalization demonstrations despite being more than 50 years of age.

Personally, I think they should be encouraged to stay in Basilan, having taken the ferry boat to that tropical island paradise many a time myself. None of these commies will wander more than 500 yards from the town center. But they should. The Muslims would get them within the hour and you'd hear poor old Walden screaming for miles as they skinned him alive.

[germanicus]

"There is one dreaded word for this - escalation," Really! The current level of murders, kidnappings and mutilations should be left as is and the peace activists can go home secure in the knowledge that they prevented the imperialists Americans from "escalating" the violence. If we're lucky, the activists will be taken hostage and put an end to their attempts to stop our war on terrorism!

[Lion's Cub]

I hope they were informed that there will be NO US troops or special forces sent to rescue them.

[Kermit]

"Organizers said the mission will assess the impact on villagers on Basilan island of the military assault against Abu Sayyaf rebels,..."

Did the foreign peace activists access the impact on villagers of the terrorist assaults, kidnappings and beheadings by Abu Sayyaf "rebels"? No where to be seen. This means the foreign peace activists are simply pro-commie, pro-Islamo-fascist hypocrites with a horrendous double standard and blindness.

[sidegunner]

Dont'cha just love it when some people( in this case idiots )VOLUNTEER to become abused hostages.

[JimSEA]

I am sure that beheadings have no long term impact on the free speech rights of the villagers. Do the wonderful Abu Sayyaf rebels have an artillery piece that Jane Fonda could pose on when calling for death to America??

[Tijeras_Slim]

It would be a shame for heads with such low-mileage brains to get cut off... < /sarcasm>