Todd Tiahrt: “Today marks the 298th day that Martin and Gracia Burnham have been held captive by Muslim terrorists in the Philippines.…”

“Today marks the 298th day that Martin and Gracia Burnham have been held captive by Muslim terrorists in the Philippines. A couple of weeks ago our spirits were raised as we heard of a new video showing Martin and Gracia. Our initial enthusiasm at the confirmation that they are still alive and healthy quickly dissipated as we realized the videotape was much older than claimed. Though the cameraman claims the tape is from mid-January, many signs point to it being shot much earlier, earlier even than the tape released in December. Martin and Gracia's clothes are in much better condition than in the video shot in November. Martin is not wearing glasses that he received in November and wore on the previous video. Martin's beard is shorter, and the Burnhams are much healthier looking than in November. So we still await recent pictures and statements from Martin and Gracia. The tape is noteworthy, however, because for the first time the Abu Sayyaf Group, or the ASG, indicates that it regards itself as part of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network, something we have long suspected. This admission should give the Philippine government and their military added incentive to quickly track down and capture the ASG. It should also embolden our government to do as much as they can to free our fellow Americans. As always, I ask you to join me in prayer for Martin and Gracia and their loved ones, so that this nightmare may soon be over.”