Filipino hostage freed in Iraq

[BlackRain]

BAGHDAD (*******) - A Filipino truck driver held hostage in Iraq for two weeks has been freed, a day after Manila withdrew its troops in response to demands from kidnappers who had threatened to behead him.

The United States, Australia and Iraq's interim government have accused Manila of caving in to terrorists, but Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo defended the decision and said the father of eight did not deserve to die.


Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, an Islamic militant with suspected ties to al Qaeda warned Japan it should now do the same and pull its troops out of Iraq or face attacks.


The kidnappers of Filipino Angelo de la Cruz dropped him at the United Arab Emirates embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday morning, a source at the mission said. A ******* correspondent later saw him arriving by car at the Philippine embassy.


******* television footage from inside the UAE embassy showed de la Cruz, 46, sitting with Philippine and UAE officials, wearing a grey sports shirt. He looked tired but in good health and fidgeted with a handkerchief in his hands.

Arroyo said she decided to withdraw a small military contingent early because of the importance of looking after some eight million Filipino workers abroad.


"A father of eight, Angelo has become a Filipino everyman, a symbol of the hardworking Filipino seeking hope and opportunity," said Arroyo, who spoke to de la Cruz by telephone.


Militants threatening to behead de la Cruz had set a July 20 deadline for Philippine troops to leave Iraq. They had been previously due to depart on August 20.

The source at the UAE embassy quoted de la Cruz, who was first reported captured on July 7, as saying the kidnappers told him to go inside and ask for help.

"We were really surprised to see him here," the source said.

De le Cruz's tearful wife Arsenia thanked the kidnappers for not harming him.


Zarqawi said in a statement posted on an Islamist Web site that Japan now should do the same as the Philippines.

"This message is directed to the Japanese government. Do what the Philippines has done because no one else can help you ... Your fate will be like that of the Americans and others," read the statement posted on a Web site that has carried previous comments from Zarqawi.


An American and a South Korean have been beheaded by a group led by Zarqawi.

Source: http://www.*******.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=550430&section=news

[Zarathustra]

Al Zarkawi should be killed... :-*$

[abncougar]

i second that...

[2Sheds_Jackson]

Wow, the Philippines can stand tall today. Rather than lose one man, their entire army fled in terror.

What the hell is this? What kind of military organization crumbles at the prospect of a single loss? What kind of credibility does that give their military and govermnent? If I were Philippino, I would be outraged that my tax dollars are going to support a pretend army with a pretend mission.

[Herrmannek]

RIP

[Chris1]

Wow, the Philippines can stand tall today. Rather than lose one man, their entire army fled in terror.

What the hell is this? What kind of military organization crumbles at the prospect of a single loss? What kind of credibility does that give their military and govermnent? If I were Philippino, I would be outraged that my tax dollars are going to support a pretend army with a pretend mission.
Their entire army is already fighting to recover american tourists who went to see the nice rebels.
50 men, who were going to leave anyway for a mans life.
I think its a fair trade, so will this guys wife and eight kids.

[ChuckThunder]

Wow, the Philippines can stand tall today. Rather than lose one man, their entire army fled in terror.

What the hell is this? What kind of military organization crumbles at the prospect of a single loss? What kind of credibility does that give their military and govermnent? If I were Philippino, I would be outraged that my tax dollars are going to support a pretend army with a pretend mission.
Their entire army is already fighting to recover american tourists who went to see the nice rebels.
50 men, who were going to leave anyway for a mans life.
I think its a fair trade, so will this guys wife and eight kids.

Yeah, I still think it'd be funny if they sent the troops back now. :D

[2Sheds_Jackson]

Wow, the Philippines can stand tall today. Rather than lose one man, their entire army fled in terror.

What the hell is this? What kind of military organization crumbles at the prospect of a single loss? What kind of credibility does that give their military and govermnent? If I were Philippino, I would be outraged that my tax dollars are going to support a pretend army with a pretend mission.
Their entire army is already fighting to recover american tourists who went to see the nice rebels.
50 men, who were going to leave anyway for a mans life.
I think its a fair trade, so will this guys wife and eight kids.

I'm sure they will. And I'm glad he's home too, but the price is too high. The cost of this was more than simply a few people leaving early. As in Spain, the practice of terror worked. They got what they wanted, now everybody is happy. The guy is home, fewer Infidels in the holy land.

But what do we say to the next kidnap victims kids? Do we tell them that their mom or dad was kidnapped because kidnapping works? That it's proven successful & it's just the way things are done? If you want your friends toys, kidnap their parents till you get what you want?

I was taught that you don't reward bad behavior. I was also taught to accept responsibility for my decisions. I have not gone to Iraq (yet) because I am not willing to accept the risk. I also have small kids at home - and I decided that while I'm willing to risk my own neck - by going over there, I'm also risking their futures as well. So I've decided not to go unless and until things simmer down. This man was willing to take the money, but not the risk. As an individual, I can forgive the man's failings as well as his family's desire to put their interests above those of others.

But the Philippine government should know better. They've been pwned by a bunch of illiterate fundamentalists who will do it again because it works. The Philippine government should be ashamed for rewarding terror and bringing the same fate to others.

[instantmilkshake]

Wow, the Philippines can stand tall today. Rather than lose one man, their entire army fled in terror.

What the hell is this? What kind of military organization crumbles at the prospect of a single loss? What kind of credibility does that give their military and govermnent? If I were Philippino, I would be outraged that my tax dollars are going to support a pretend army with a pretend mission.
Their entire army is already fighting to recover american tourists who went to see the nice rebels.
50 men, who were going to leave anyway for a mans life.
I think its a fair trade, so will this guys wife and eight kids.

I'm sure they will. And I'm glad he's home too, but the price is too high. The cost of this was more than simply a few people leaving early. As in Spain, the practice of terror worked. They got what they wanted, now everybody is happy. The guy is home, fewer Infidels in the holy land.

But what do we say to the next kidnap victims kids? Do we tell them that their mom or dad was kidnapped because kidnapping works? That it's proven successful & it's just the way things are done? If you want your friends toys, kidnap their parents till you get what you want?

I was taught that you don't reward bad behavior. I was also taught to accept responsibility for my decisions. I have not gone to Iraq (yet) because I am not willing to accept the risk. I also have small kids at home - and I decided that while I'm willing to risk my own neck - by going over there, I'm also risking their futures as well. So I've decided not to go unless and until things simmer down. This man was willing to take the money, but not the risk. As an individual, I can forgive the man's failings as well as his family's desire to put their interests above those of others.

But the Philippine government should know better. They've been pwned by a bunch of illiterate fundamentalists who will do it again because it works. The Philippine government should be ashamed for rewarding terror and bringing the same fate to others.

Well said Jackson, we all have to remember that we are dealing with a person's life and it's easy for us to say let them kill him since we're not the one being kidnapped. However, he made that choice to go there for money I presumed, he should off thought hard about his safety. Is money really worth dying for? Hell no! But now those idiots terrorists win again.
:fork:

[lucifer]

totally agree with you! pussies! :fork:

[instantmilkshake]

EURO IRAK 2004

terrorist 1 Spain -1
terrorist 1 Filipine -1

Next match terrorist vs. Japan

[Deuterium]

http://www.unitedmedia.com/editoons/payne/archive/images/payne21045920040719.gif

[Zarathustra]

The zapatero's governement in Spain was the FIRST governement in the world elected by Al-Qaeda... :roll: :roll: :roll:

[detchavez]

I agree. They should not have negotiated with terrorists. I mean, I visited a jail about a month ago and as soon as I was out there with the inmates, one of the deputies told me, "We don't negotiate with prisoners here, so if any of them takes you hostage,you're going to have to fight it out, and of course, we'll be doing everything else we can do to help, but we will not negotiate. Even if it's something as stupid as for a pizza."
Now, these freakin Mo-fos are going to already have it in their minds that they can get whatever they want.

[ruffest]

i'm an australian citizen with a filipino background and i have to say im very dissapointed with the way my other country negotiated with terrorists
we already have problems down south with terrorist and in this current event this wont help our fight back home
i guess our army is pretty corrupt and un capable of handling a 50 man terrorrist group
which really sucks
theres also a bigger terrorist group in the philippines plfp or something like that helping the 50 terrorists, just to give some face to my country
philippines is 90% christian 10 % muslims

[hahaha]

bunch of pussies

[He219]

Talk about capitulating to terrorism, this is what happens:

http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20040721/i/r2413890398.jpg

A new hostage crisis erupted in Iraq July 21, 2004, just a day after a kidnapped Filipino was freed, with guerrillas saying they had seized three Indians, two Kenyans and an Egyptian and threatening to kill them one by one.

In video footage given to Arabic satellite channel Al Arabiya, masked gunmen said they would behead the captives unless the Kuwaiti company they worked for pulled out of Iraq. The hostages and gunmen are seen in this video still image.
:(

[instantmilkshake]

So 1 filipino = 3 indians + 1 pakistany and such... pfff... that's no fair trade! The terrorist are ripping us off! :bash: