State Dept. Rules Out U.S. Deals
WASHINGTON (AP) - The State
Department Wednesday ruled out paying ransom or making any deal with rebels in the
Philippines who are holding an American hostage and threatening to execute him if their
still-undisclosed demands are not met.
In a statement issued Wednesday
in Washington and in Manila, the department condemned the abduction of Jeffrey Schilling
of Oakland, Calif., and called for his safe release and for the release of 18 other
hostages on southern Jolo island.
A spokesman for the Abu Sabaya
rebels said in Zamboanga, Philippines, that they will behead Schilling. Six Western
hostages were released earlier this week for a reported $6 million ransom paid by Libya.
The State Department steered
clear of what outsiders might do to try to free Schilling. ``We have no comment about any
steps which might be taken to secure the release of the American hostage,'' the statement
said.
It added, however, ``we want to
make it very clear that the U.S. government does not make deals with terrorists.''
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