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Cdns Kidnapped, Killed in Philippines (split fm Re: Politics in 2016)

George Wallace

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This will be interesting to follow:

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/calgary/john-ridsdel-hostage-trudeau-1.3487367

What has the Trudeau Government done, or plans on doing, about this case that has been put forward to them in NOVEMBER 2015?  We hear all about the plans to bring in 300K migrants, mostly unskilled; but nothing about Canadians held hostage by "TERRORISTS".  I know that SECURITY is an issue in these matters, but there has not even been a hint of acknowledgement by the Government about these Canadians.  Is this another Chretienism: "Ignore it and the problem will go away."?

- mod edit to adjust thread title to fit latest events -
 
George Wallace said:
... I know that SECURITY is an issue in these matters, but there has not even been a hint of acknowledgement by the Government about these Canadians ...
True, but not by just this government, other than a "The Department of Foreign Affairs said the federal government is aware of reports that Canadians were kidnapped in the Philippines and is "pursuing all appropriate channels to seek further information." " right after it happened (and I guess shared with the Government of Canada as well) in mid-to-late September.
 
This, from the Bankgok Post ...
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed early Tuesday that the decapitated head of a Caucasian male recovered Monday night in the southern Philippines belongs to one two Canadians taken hostage by Abu Sayyaf militants in September.

Mr Trudeau identified the victim as John Ridsdel, 68, of Calgary, Alberta. He pledged his government will work with the government of the Philippines and international partners to pursue those responsible for this "heinous act."

Two men on a motorcycle left Ridsdel's head, placed inside a plastic bag, along a street in Jolo town in Sulu province and then fled, Jolo police chief Supt Junpikar Sitin said ...
... and this from the PM:
“I am outraged by the news that a Canadian citizen, John Ridsdel, held hostage in the Philippines since September 21, 2015, has been killed at the hands of his captors.

“Canada condemns without reservation the brutality of the hostage-takers, and this unnecessary death. This was an act of cold-blooded murder and responsibility rests squarely with the terrorist group who took him hostage.

“The Government of Canada is committed to working with the Government of Philippines and international partners to pursue those responsible for this heinous act and bring them to justice.

“On behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Ridsdel. They have endured a terrible ordeal, and this is a devastating moment for all of them. Our thoughts are with them as they come to terms with this loss, and I would ask that the media respect their privacy at this difficult time.

“The Government of Canada’s first priority is the safety and security of its citizens. The Government of Canada will not comment or release any information which may compromise ongoing efforts or endanger the safety of the remaining hostages.”
 
Anyone who believes nothing was being done about this is wrong. Unfortunately, sometimes the bad guys win.

When Canadian nationals are kidnapped overseas there are people whose job it is to work the file, but in most cases we will never hear about it and for good reasons.
 
A bit more detail ...
... Gar Pardy, former head of consular services at the department of foreign affairs, now known as Global Affairs Canada, said governments always say they will not negotiate with terrorist groups and foreign criminals who kidnap their citizens. “But the simple rule is: you always pay,” he said. “It’s as simple as that.”

There was reason for hope. Earlier this month, Abu Sayyaf released an Italian missionary taken in a separate kidnapping after receiving a ransom of $630,000. So why not Ridsdel?

Former Ontario premier Bob Rae, who was friends with Ridsdel, confirmed that he had been working with the family to try to secure his release. Appearing on CTV’s Power Play program, Rae said the government was “very directly involved,” but that the kidnappers refused to lower their demands.

“A ransom was paid for (the Italian captive), but it was nowhere near the amounts of money that continued to be bandied about (for Ridsdel),” he said. “It’s been an extremely frustrating and very, very difficult situation for the families to navigate.”

Rae, who also served as federal interim Liberal leader, said the government has a policy of not paying directly for a Canadian’s release, which he described as a “principled” position that it will not be directly involved in paying any ransom.

But Pardy said the reality is much more complicated in that the government may not be cutting cheques to militants or terrorist groups, but it isn’t completely hands-off either.

“Your objective is to get your person released unharmed, and sometimes you have to leave others to fill in the blanks,” he said. “You may not pay directly, but you pay through intermediaries.” ...
 
I just find it very odd that Canadian media was having a heyday over Mohamed Fahmy; demanding to have the government "do more" for his release and "do more" for the return of Omar Khadr. Media outlets demanded to know exactly what the Govt was doing and how much it was involved in returning these two to Canada.

However...

When these two gentlemen got captured, it seemed only one article was published stating they were captured, and now one to say that there had been a murder.

Nothing to say that the GoC was aware and working on it, and no media pressure demanding more be done and more info be given to the public. Nothing.
 
State vs non-state actors.  It's easy to put public pressure on a government; not so easy to pressure a terrorist group.

See also Lang and Fowler.
 
I hope they send in a certain group of ours to hunt these people down. Canadians should be the ones pulling the trigger on these men as an answer to their actions.
 
LunchMeat said:
When these two gentlemen got captured, it seemed only one article was published stating they were captured, and now one to say that there had been a murder.
I call partial BS on that.  Google News seems to suggest there were far more two articles out there (looking just between October of last year and March of this year), especially when videos were released

On the other hand, though, what was the ratio of Canadian vs. foreign media coverage?  Poke around the hits from Google News, and draw your own conclusions. 

LunchMeat said:
Nothing to say that the GoC was aware and working on it, and no media pressure demanding more be done and more info be given to the public. Nothing.
To be fair to both the currently-ruling Liberals & the previously-ruling Conservatives, do you think you'd see/hear everything being done behind the scenes while things were happening?  Here's what was said, for example, in October of last year:
... Canada’s Foreign Affairs Department said in an e-mailed statement that “the Government of Canada will not comment or release any information which may compromise continuing efforts and risk endangering the safety of Canadian citizens abroad.” ...

Meanwhile,  some of the latest ...
Pieman said:
I hope they send in a certain group of ours to hunt these people down. Canadians should be the ones pulling the trigger on these men as an answer to their actions.
Ideally, yes, but I'm also more than okay with those already in the fray doing the deed.
 
Pieman said:
I hope they send in a certain group of ours to hunt these people down. Canadians should be the ones pulling the trigger on these men as an answer to their actions.

And violate the sovereignty of another state?  Politically, it would be better for Filipino SOF and/or police to do the deed.  If we sent in our folks, and things went badly, that would be a major political coup for the bad guys and a major blow to our government.
 
The government does not have a lot of great options on this one. The previous government managed to work their magic with the Bob Fowler file. My gut tells me the new folks don't have the same expertise.
 
Jed said:
The government does not have a lot of great options on this one. The previous government managed to work their magic with the Bob Fowler file. My gut tells me the new folks don't have the same expertise.

You do realise that there are teams in place for this sort of thing.  Likely many of those that worked on the Fowler case were working on this one.  Also different groups and different circumstances.  Some have insinuated that the Bob Fowler kidnappers were paid the ransom and the this current one was not.  But who knows.  I don't think this has anything to do with which government is in place.  Canada's official position on this is pretty clear. 
 
I don't care who does it, I just hope they get the iron and copper delivery they're begging for sooner rather than later.
 
Having seen some of our Filipino Brothers in Arms, I'm sure they are quite capable of exacting retribution for us while saving the remaining hostages if and when they can locate then and equally importantly are let off their leash by their own political masters
 
Here's a piece that includes a bit on the politics behind this happening a couple of weeks before a presidential election in PHL, shared in accordance with the "fair dealing" provisions, Section 29, of the Copyright Act:
Canadian Hostage Beheaded in Philippines by Muslim Extremists
By JIM GOMEZ, Associated Press

The Philippine military came under increased pressure Tuesday to rescue more than 20 foreign hostages after their Muslim extremist captors beheaded a Canadian man, but troops face a dilemma in how to succeed without endangering the remaining captives.

Abu Sayyaf gunmen beheaded John Ridsdel on Monday in the southern province of Sulu, sparking condemnations and prompting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to pledge to help the Philippines pursue the extremists behind the "heinous act."

"Canada condemns without reservation the brutality of the hostage takers and this unnecessary death," Trudeau told reporters. "This was an act of cold-blooded murder and responsibility rests squarely with the terrorist group who took him hostage."

Ridsdel's head, which was placed in a plastic bag, was dumped by motorcycle-riding militants Monday night in Jolo town in impoverished Sulu, a densely forested province about 950 kilometers (590 miles) south of Manila, where the Abu Sayyaf and allied gunmen are believed to be holding 22 foreign hostages from six Western and Asian countries.

It's a politically sensitive time for troops to carry out major offensives, at the height of campaigning in a closely fought race among four contenders in the May 9 presidential election. President Benigno Aquino III and opposition politicians have had differences over the handling of the Muslim insurgency and the social ills that foster it.

"The pressure on the armed forces is really immense," said Julkipli Wadi, who has conducted extensive studies on the Muslim secessionist conflict in the south.

The underfunded military has to contend with escalating territorial disputes in the South China Sea while dealing with Muslim and Marxist rebellions that have endured through several presidencies, fueled by the poverty, neglect and desperation that have not been tamed by political leaders, Wadi said.

A large-scale offensive could displace many villagers and draw attention to the longstanding security and social issues in the vote-rich south, homeland of minority Muslims in the largely Roman Catholic nation.

That could play to the advantage of Rodrigo Duterte, the tough-talking city mayor from the south who has emerged as the front-runner in the presidential race by a lofty promise to end crime in six months and restore law and order. Aquino has endorsed another candidate, Mar Roxas, whose platform focuses on continuing the president's anti-corruption drive and economic reforms. All the presidential candidates condemned the beheading.

The Philippine military and police said "there will be no letup" in the effort to combat the militants and find the hostages, even though they have had little success in safely securing their freedom. Many hostages were believed to have been released due to huge ransom payments.

"The full force of the law will be used to bring these criminals to justice," they said in a joint statement.

About 2,000 military personnel, backed by Huey and MG520 rocket-firing helicopters and artillery, are involved in the manhunt for the militants, who are believed to be massing in Sulu's mountainous Patikul town, military officials said.

While under pressure to produce results, government troops have been ordered to carry out assaults without endangering the remaining hostages, including in the use of airstrikes and artillery fire, a combat officer told The Associated Press by cellphone from Sulu. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

Amid the offensive, Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado resigned Tuesday in Sulu as commander of an army brigade "due to conflict of approach in addressing the Abu Sayyaf threats" in the province. Arrojado did not elaborate.

In past militant videos posted online, Ridsdel and fellow Canadian Robert Hall, Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad and Filipino Marites Flor were shown sitting in a clearing with heavily armed militants standing behind them. In some of the videos, a militant aimed a long knife at Ridsdel's neck as he pleaded for his life. Two black flags with Islamic State group-like markings hung in the backdrop of lush foliage.

The four were seized from a marina on southern Samal Island and taken by boat to Sulu, where Abu Sayyaf gunmen continue to hold several captives, including a Dutch bird watcher who was kidnapped more than three years ago, and Indonesian and Malaysian crewmen who were snatched recently from three tugboats.

Ridsdel was killed after the militants failed to receive a huge ransom demand by a Monday deadline. A police official said the killing of five and wounding of about 16 Abu Sayyaf gunmen in a military assault three days before the beheading may have angered the extremists and helped lead them to decide to kill him in revenge.

In Canada, Ridsdel was remembered as a brilliant, compassionate man with a talent for friendship.

"He could bridge many communities, many people, many situations and circumstances and environments in a very gentle way," said Gerald Thurston, a lifelong friend of the former mining executive and journalist who grew up with him in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.

Thurston said Ridsdel is survived by two adult daughters from a former marriage.

The Abu Sayyaf began a series of large-scale abductions after it emerged in the early 1990s as an offshoot of a separatist rebellion by minority Muslims in the southern Philippines.

It has been weakened by more than a decade of government offensives, but has endured largely as a result of large ransom and extortion earnings. The United States and the Philippines have both listed the group as a terrorist organization.
 
And violate the sovereignty of another state?  Politically, it would be better for Filipino SOF and/or police to do the deed.  If we sent in our folks, and things went badly, that would be a major political coup for the bad guys and a major blow to our government.

I'm more thinking that our group would go there with permission to 'assist' the Filipino gov in tracking down this group. I don't think that is unheard of...unfortunately I also realize it's not likely to happen.
 
This from PHL media ...
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced that 501st Infantry Brigade commander Brigadier General Alan Arrojado has relinquished his post effective Wednesday. Arrojado was replaced by Col. Jose Faustino, said AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla.

The former is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1984.

The 501st Infantry Brigade is presently based in Sulu and is one of the units helping in the ongoing operations against the Abu Sayyaf Group and other lawless elements.

Arrojado used to be the concurrent commander of Joint Task Group Sulu before being replaced by 1st Infantry Division commander Major Gen. Gerardo Barrientos last April 5.

“Brig. Gen. Arojado has served with distinction as brigade commander of the 602nd Infantry Brigade and 501st Infantry Brigade for a total period of two years and years months. In the last 18 months he led the campaign against the KFRGs (kidnap-for-ransom groups) in the Island of Jolo,” Padilla added.

Army officers usually serve a minimum of one year and six months in major positions to complete their billet requirements.

However, sources claimed Arrojado opted to step-down from his post after “conflict of approach (in) addressing the ASG threat in Sulu.”

The latter’s replacement come in wake of Canadian John Ridsdel’s beheading by the ASG during their April 25 deadline ...
 
Brihard said:
Anyone who believes nothing was being done about this is wrong. Unfortunately, sometimes the bad guys win.

When Canadian nationals are kidnapped overseas there are people whose job it is to work the file, but in most cases we will never hear about it and for good reasons.

Bingo.

Too many people thinking that if they aren't hearing about it then it's not happening.  Thing is, if the government and agencies involved told the public --- they'd also be telling the bad guys.  And, there are still hostages whose lives are at stake here.
 
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