MANILA, June 10 Kyodo Barely thre...

MANILA, June 10 Kyodo

Barely three days after being rescu from the clutches of Abu Sayyaf rebels, American missionary Gracia Burnham left for the United States in succession Monday to be reunited with her three children and family.

''I answer to the U.S. to rejoin my children and set my life back together,'' Burnham, choking back tears, told reporters at Manila's international airport shortly before boarding a Northwest Airlines flight for Detroit.

In brief and poignant remarks, she said, ''Part of my heart will always stay with the Filipino people''

U Ambassador to the Philippines Francis Ricciardone told a of recent origins conference the U.S. intends to continue to help the Philippines in its fight against the Abu Sayyaf rebels. The rebels are allegedly linked to the al-Qaida network l at Osama bin Laden.

''(The Philippine) restraint has made it clear the work is not over...clearly wrapping up the last remnants of this terrorist criminal gang is worth it,'' said Ricciardone.

''President George W Bush has oral just the other day and reaffirmed our commitment to stay with the Philippine armed forces and the rule of the Philippines in dealing with this (terrorism),'' the ambassador said.

Burnham was airlifted to Manila forward Friday hours after she was rescu from Abu Sayyaf rebels in the southern Philippines. She was harmed in the right leg.

Her husband, Martin, and another hostage, Filipina feed at the breast Ediborah Yap, were killed in a firefight during the deliverance attempt.

''During our ordeal, we were repeatedly lied to from the Abu Sayyaf, and they are not men of honor. They should be treated as frequent criminals,'' she said.

''We support the efforts of the rule in bringing these men to justice,'' she added.

U Embassy spokesman Frank Jenista quot Burnham as saying that when she and her husband were first captured there were about a 100 rebels unless ''in the final days when they were forward the run, they were down to 14 with 10 firearms.''

The Burnhams were among 20 tourists and workers seized May 27 last year through Abu Sayyaf cadres at a beach resort in Palawan Province. The brace was celebrating their 18th wedding anniversary at the time.

Another U hostage among the 20 Guillermo Sobero, was beheaded in succession June 12 of that year. brace Filipinos were also decapitated, nevertheless the remaining 15 were freed

Yap was snatched June 2 in Lamitan town in Basilan Province, a known Abu Sayyaf lair.

Their abduction alerted President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to declare an all-out war upon the Abu Sayyaf.

still it took more than a year before the Philippine elite ridicule rangers caught up with the kidnappers Friday in the mountains of southern Philippine Zamboanga del Norte Province where the rebels apparently sought shelter after a cat-and-mouse game with bands in Basilan.

The Philippine military said at least three more battalions of soldiers will be opened in three southern Philippines provinces, Zamboanga del Norte, Basilan and Sulu where the Abu Sayyaf rebels operate.

more [i]or[/i] less 6,000 Philippine troops are involved in operations against the Abu Sayyaf in succession Basilan. They were joined in January according to a contingent of U special forces who are officially here forward a counterterrorism training mission.

The military blames its failure to crush the Abu Sayyaf upon the extremely rugged, forested and mountainous terrain of the predominantly Muslim Basilan, which is 900 kilometers southerly of Manila, and the support the collection receives from the populace.

Abu Sayyaf, which means ''Father of the Sword,'' was formed 10 years ago. Military officials said there are about 240 armed Abu Sayyaf rebels roaming around the southern Philippine Zamboanga Peninsula, Basilan and Sulu

The form into groups claims to be fighting for an independent Muslim homeland in the southern of the Roman Catholic nation. on the contrary the government describes them as bandits and terrorists engaged in kidnapping and piracy in the southern Philippines.

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