| Libya a mere conduit $6
million ransom paid by Euro states
By Charmaine C. Deogracias
THE $6-million
ransom delivered by Libya to the Abu Sayyaf did not entirely come from the coffers of the
North African nation, diplomatic sources said yesterday.
The sources,
who requested anonymity, told THE MANILA TIMES that Libya’s role has largely been as
a “conduit” of funds.
The sources,
however, accused the government of Col. Moammar Gadhafi of covering up efforts to arm
Islamic fundamentalist groups by acting as negotiator in hostage crises.
The diplomats said
“very little” of the ransom paid for the release of six of the 21 hostages
seized from Sipadan island, Malaysia, came from Libya.
Instead, they
claimed, the funds came from European governments who did not wish to project a “soft”
image against terrorists, and “Libyan allies” with a record for helping
fundamentalist movements.
Foreign Affairs
Undersecretary for Policy Lauro Baja disputed the charges, saying Libya was rich enough to
afford the ransom.
An Associated
Press report datelined Tripoli said the six former hostages would be meeting
Gadhafi, one of the world’s most colorful leaders.
The Libyan
strongman, in power for more than three decades, earned unprecedented international thanks
for persuading Filipino rebels to release the six and he is working on winning the freedom
of 18 others still held captive by the Muslim rebels.
After an overnight
rest for passengers and crew in United Arab Emirates, the luxurious Libyan Ilyushin plane—formerly
used by Russian President Boris Yeltsin—carrying the six was resuming the journey
Tuesday to the Libyan capital, Tripoli. It left Cebu, Philippines, on Monday and landed at
Ra’s al Khaymah airport in the Emirates around 1730 GMT for refueling.
Backlash
The freed hostages’
trip to Libya is officially voluntary. But it is widely believed that their governments
agreed to the visit in exchange for Libya’s help in negotiations.
A huge festival
was believed to be under preparation for them here, and officials from Germany, France and
South Africa were among expected guests. Libyan officials have refused comment on their
welcome plans, but it was widely expected there would be a meeting among the freed
hostages and Gadhafi inside his colorful tent—his official residence for more than a
decade.
Baja hinted that
Abu Sayyaf rebels would get their comeuppance with the release of the last foreign
hostage. Then the Philippine government, he said, would get a free hand in disposing of
the extremist group.
Libya, Baja
stressed, is in no position to guarantee the absence of military reprisal.
“They can ask
the Philippine government but it’s now up to the Philippines. They can ask, but the
Philippines will dispose,” the official said.
Baja claimed
European concerns about a military offensive would end with the release of their hostages.
“This is an
internal problem, though it started in Malaysia and the crisis is transnational. It should
be dealt with by Filipinos,” the undersecretary said.
Baja emphasized
that the only way the Philippines could recover from the blow on its image would be to
deal harshly with the Abu Sayyaf group after all the hostages are released.
“We must do
something to combat terrorism. We must do something to prevent its occurrence. We must
bring to justice those who perpetrated it. I don’t know how the government can do it.
It is a transnational crime, and it is supposed that the international community is to be
supportive of what the government would do to eradicate kidnapping and terrorism,”
Baja said.
Malaysian
rebuff
Malaysia,
meanwhile, warned members of the Abu Sayyaf rebel group yesterday that it would not allow
any of them to seek sanctuary in the country, the national news agency reported.
“If we
discover them within our area, we will deport them,” Defense Minister Najib Tun Razak
was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency. “We’ll respond accordingly if they
use violence as an option to resist interception.”
Najib was
commenting on news reports that the Abu Sayyaf separatists might try to escape Philippine
military action by heading to Malaysia’s Sabah state on Borneo island.
Baja insisted
that Libya alone raised the ransom.
“If money is
paid then it’s being paid by Libya. I think there’s no more quarrel on that,
whether Libya does it on her own or with the consent with the representation of the other
countries is another matter. I think it’s a knowledge that Libya is paying,” he
said.
Baja noted the
Libyan effort was through the Gadhafi International Foundation for charitable
organizations.
But, “after
all these niceties and fiction of the foundation, it’s still the Libyan government on
top of it,” Baja stressed.
“If you talk
about ransom, I don’t think that will ever be acknowledged,” the DFA official
added.
Rich enough
“Yes, money
changed hands but not really in the context of payment of ransom, because all these
governments are against payment of ransom for obvious reasons,” Baja explained.
Chief government
negotiator Robert Aventajado said Libyan scholars or Ustadz played a key role in securing
the freedom of the 16 hostages released by the Abu Sayyaf.
The Libyan Ustadz
relied heavily on religion to influence the rebels to free their captives, Aventajado
added.
President Estrada’s
flagship adviser said he is just waiting for “the right timing” to effect the
release of last seven hostages—German Mark Wallert, Frenchman Stephane Loisy, Finns
Risto Mikro Jahannen and Seppo Juhani Franti, and Filipino Rolando Ullah and two French
journalists.
He insisted that
evangelist Wilde Almeda and his 12 companions were “voluntary visitors” and not
hostages of the rebels.
Baja said Libya
remained a very rich nation despite the international economic sanctions imposed in the
aftermath of the Lockerbie bombing of a Pan American flight.
“Libya is one
of the richest Arab countries, though there had been economic sanctions on them, there was
no cut off of their production of oil,” he noted.
--with Manny Marinay
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