| 'Kidnapped' man linked to NY blast By Marian Trinidad and Dorian Sicat
MILITARY and
police intelligence officials and US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) sources yesterday
linked American national Jeffrey Craig Edward Schilling to a militant organization of
African-American Muslims, confirming initial suspicions of a “kidnap me” plot.
The sources,
who requested anonymity, said Schilling, also an African-American, is a member of the Abu
Sayyaf, as well as the US-based “Nation of Islam.”
While some of the
sources described the group as a racist, anti-Jewish cult which teaches that Islam is for
blacks only and that black people are “angelic gods.” But other sources stressed
that the Nation of Islam also has its moderate and radical factions.
Police officials,
who requested anonymity, also confirmed that Schilling was a former agent of the CIA. They
said the 24-year-old American went AWOL (absent without official leave) to work for the
Abu Sayyaf cause.
This was
vehemently denied by the US Embassy in Manila.
Schilling, the
sources said, agreed to participate in the abduction to enable the Abu Sayyaf to demand
that Washington release three Muslims convicted for their participation in the World Trade
Center bombing in New York.
They were
identified as Ramsey Yousef, Egyptian cleric Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman and Abou Haider.
The Department of
Foreign Affairs (DFA) also said they have yet to determine whether Schilling was, indeed,
a kidnap victim of the Abu Sayyaf.
DFA Secretary
Domingo Siazon said they already have a “contact” who will help establish
whether or not Schilling was really abducted by the terrorists. He, however, refused to
identify the contact who will reveal his findings “in a day or two.”
US officials,
meanwhile, appealed for the immediate release of Schilling, saying he is seriously sick
and should be freed immediately on humanitarian grounds.
The terrorists
announced Tuesday they had abducted Schilling of Oakland, California, and threatened to
behead him if the United States rejects their demands.
US Embassy
spokesman Thomas Skipper said US government officials have talked with Schilling’s
family and learned the kidnapped American has serious medical problems and needs regular
prescription medicine.
“From a
humanitarian standpoint, he should be released as soon as possible,” Skipper said.
Skipper said he
did not know the nature of Schilling’s condition. But military officials on Wednesday
said the American was “psychologically troubled.”
The rebels are
expected to announce their demands soon. They are likely to include the release of several
Arab terrorists held in US jails.
“We do not
joke,” said Abu Sabaya, spokesman of the Abu Sayyaf rebels. “When we say we will
behead someone, we will behead him.”
Sabaya said the
terrorists believe Schilling is a CIA agent because he introduced himself as a Muslim
convert but knew little about Islam.
In an interview
with the Radio Mindanao Network, Sabaya said they are willing to begin negotiations with
US Embassy officials as early as Thursday for Schilling’s release. But he said
representatives of North Korea, China, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Libya must take part in the
talks—a demand Philippine officials say they are likely to reject.
Philippine
officials said they have decided to attempt to negotiate before resorting to any military
action. They said the talks are not likely involve a third country, apparently referring
to Libya, which played a prominent role in talks for the release of the other hostages.
“I don’t
think we should involve any other country,” Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora said.
The US State
Department has ruled out paying ransom or making any deals with the rebels. Skipper said
that policy “does not preclude us from negotiating ... what we can offer I’m not
really certain.”
Schilling is being
held by the same hard-line Abu Sayyaf faction that kidnapped about 50 schoolchildren and
teachers in March on neighboring Basilan Island. The group beheaded two teachers after the
United States ignored their demand for the release of Arab terrorists.
“We will not
pay ransom, change policies, release prisoners, or make any concessions that reward
hostage-taking,” the US government said in a statement Wednesday.
Several Philippine
government negotiators have said they do not want to take on Schilling’s case because
of poor chances of success given the hard-line stance of both sides.
US Consul General
John Caulfield called the allegation that Schilling is a CIA agent “ridiculous.”
Schilling arrived
in the Philippines on March 8 and has been living with his Muslim Filipino girlfriend, Ivy
V. Osani, in Zamboanga City.
Osani’s
mother, Aida Ajijol, said Osani and rebel spokesman Sabaya are second cousins. Sabaya had
invited the couple to visit the rebels’ camp on Jolo, she said.
In Oakland,
Schilling’s mother, Carol, said her son converted to Islam several years ago and
visited the Philippines partly because of a longtime interest in the region, but stayed
after he fell in love with Osani.
Schilling took up
Asian studies at the University of California in Berkeley, US officials said.
-- Charmaine Deogracias and AP
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