Hostages endure firefights, hunger in 8-month saga

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines -- After a day on the white sands of a ritzy resort, Martin and Gracia Burnham retired to their stilt cabin to the hum of an air conditioner and the lapping of the Sulu Sea.

That night, the door was kicked in and the Kansas missionaries joined 18 other hostages hauled away at gunpoint by the Abu Sayyaf, a Muslim extremist group linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network.

Eight months later, scores of soldiers, rebels and hostages have died, the Philippines' reputation and tourism industry have been battered, and the country is seen as a next U.S. target in the war on terror.

About 100 U.S. military support staff were already in the southern Philippines by Sunday and the numbers were to grow to more than 600 -- including 160 Special Forces -- on a mission to train the Filipinos to wipe out the Abu Sayyaf.

While the country does not allow foreign troops to fight on its soil, the U.S. advisers will be allowed to visit combat zones and carry weapons for self-defense, a decision that has brought criticism of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Not first kidnapping

Two years ago, the rebels stormed a Malaysian resort, snatching 21 people, both foreigners and Malaysians.

This time, the rebels are running and the Burnhams are with them. The Burnhams were whisked away with Guillermo Sobero of Corona, Calif., 14 Filipino tourists and three others.

The kidnappers' speedboat outran the Philippine navy on its getaway to the nearby island of Basilan. Days later, the hostages were forced to march through the jungle at night.