| ARMY PULLS BACK
FROM HOSTAGE SITE By AARON FAVILA, Associated
Press Writer
JOLO, Philippines (AP) - Hoping
to bring some comfort, foreign envoys read letters from home over the radio Wednesday to
hostages held by Muslim rebels in the southern Philippines.
``It is starting to get cold
here,'' the family of South Africans Callie and Monique Strydom, wrote in a letter read by
a Finnish envoy. ``All your friends send their love and good wishes. You are in the
thoughts of all South Africans.''
There is hope the rebels will
eventually allow their captives to receive the actual letters, but in the meantime,
diplomats read them over DXRZ radio, a station often monitored by the rebels.
``Please remember that we will
not neglect any possibility to help you,'' said a letter from the French ambassador. ``We
will be satisfied only when you are back among us. Good luck and be brave.''
The Philippine military pulled
back its troops Wednesday to open the way for negotiations with Muslim separatists holding
21 Western and Asian hostages, and the rebels are expected to present their demands later
this week, officials said.
The Abu Sayyaf guerrillas
promised to respond Thursday to a Libyan envoy's request that they free two ailing
captives, although one rebel leader repeated late Wednesday that they don't believe a
German woman is seriously ill.
Libyan envoy Abdul Rajab
Azzarouq, who hiked along muddy jungle trails on Wednesday to reach the rebel camp, said
the rebels have no ransom demands ``at the moment,'' but have made political demands which
he cannot discuss.
The negotiators expect to
receive specific demands for the hostages' freedom within 24 to 48 hours, he added. Then
talks can begin in earnest.
Troops pulled back from their
positions around the rebels' mountain camp on Wednesday, down to a road along the base of
the mountain on remote Jolo island in the southern Philippines, army Lt. Abe Sarajian
said. The rebels have clashed repeatedly with soldiers surrounding their hide-out and
hostages have begged for a halt.
The hostages - three Germans,
two French, two South Africans, two Finns, a Lebanese, nine Malaysians and two Filipinos -
were kidnapped from the island of Sipadan on April 23 and taken to Jolo, an hour's boat
ride away.
They are held by the Abu
Sayyaf, the smaller and more extreme of two Muslim rebel groups active here. The Abu
Sayyaf are also holding in nearby Basilan province a separate group of Filipino hostages
seized from two schools. After clashes, killings and rescues, approximately eight people,
mostly children, are thought to remain in their hands.
Meanwhile, Javier Solana, the
European Union's top diplomat, left Manila on Wednesday after a 24-hour visit during which
he received President Joseph Estrada's promise to assure the hostages' safety and
delivered humanitarian aid for the hostages.
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