$25 Million Reward Is Posted

(CBS)  The United States on Wednesday offered a cash reward of up to $5 million each for the capture of five leaders of a Muslim guerrilla group in the Philippines linked to Osama bin Laden.

The rewards are open to anyone around the world who may have information that would lead to the arrest or conviction of five top commanders of the Abu Sayyaf group, the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Francis Ricciardone told a news conference.

Abu Sayyaf has been holding American missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham hostage for more than a year on the southern island of Basilan and has been linked by the United States to the Saudi-born bin Laden and his al Qaeda network, prime suspects in the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

"We believe that ordinary citizens of the Philippines or elsewhere may have information that can bring the Abu Sayyaf terrorists to justice," Ricciardone said.

The news conference came against the tense backdrop of a report - which later turned out to be false - that U.S. Navy helicopters had been shot at, and responded by firing on Muslim extremists.

Air Force Maj. Richard Sater, spokesman for U.S. troops in the southern Philippines, said what was mistaken for an exchange of gunfire was in reality a training exercise in which the helicopters were firing blanks.

U.S. special forces are training Filipino troops in counter terrorism to help defeat the Abu Sayyaf and have deployed unmanned spy planes and other high tech detection devices around Basilan to try to track down the group and the abducted missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham.

A U.S. military commander said recently the sophisticated devices had failed to locate the group and the hostages, who include a Filipina nurse.

"It's more a matter of trying to bring in as many weapons to bear as we can," U.S. Embassy spokesman Frank Jenista said. "This just encourages people to step forward. No one can hide from everybody."

The embassy identified the five wanted guerrilla leaders as Abu Sayyaf chief Khadafi Janjalani and commanders Jainal Antel Sali, Isnilon Totoni Hapilon, Hamsiraji Marusi Sali and Aldam Tilao, more popularly known as Abu Sabaya.

Ricciardone said the bounty system was part of a "Rewards for Justice" programme which the United States launched in several countries a few years ago.

So far, 23 people have received rewards under the program, the largest amounting to $2 million.

One of those who got the reward was an "Asian caller" who informed authorities about a plot to bomb an airport 48 hours before it was to be carried out, saving hundreds or possibly thousands of lives, Jenista said.

He refused to identify the caller or give details of the foiled plot.

Informants who could give useful information to the authorities may also be given assistance in moving out of their own countries and living elsewhere, Embassy officials said.

The Philippine government has also offered a cash reward of five million pesos ($100,000) for the capture of each top Abu Sayyaf leader.