At least if you're an Abu Sayyaf terrorist. In keeping with a revised policy to allow for payments to hostage takers, in the hopes of tracking down the criminals, the United States government has apparently facilitated the payment of $3 million to Abu Sayyaf for the release of Americans Paul and Gracia Burnham. Given that these rogue guerillas have already beheaded American Guillermo Sobero, we don't exactly see the point in expecting them to play by any rules. Additionally, if the United States is knee-deep in its war against terror, it strikes us as a bit strange that we would hand over money to terrorists, allowing them to get new weapons, vehicles, and recruits for their attacks on the legitimate Phillipine government. While the situation in which the Burnhams find themselves is terribly regrettable, encouraging further kidnapping through the payment of ransoms doesn't seem like a very bright answer.
Are we fighting terror or helping to fund it? Administration speak with forked tongue.
