American Kidnapped By Philippine Rebels.

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines
Muslim rebels have kidnapped a 24-year-old American in the southern Philippines and said yesterday they will kill him if three Islamic extremists held in the United States — including the mastermind of the World Trade Center bombing — are not freed.

In Washington, the State Department demanded the unconditional release of Jeffrey Schilling of Oakland, Calif., and said it would not pay any ransom or make deals.

The rebel group has demanded freedom for three terrorists, including Ramzi Yousef, mastermind of the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, and Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, convicted of conspiring to blow up New York City landmarks. State Department spokesman Philip Reeker said several U.S. officials had gone to Zamboanga to speak with officials about the kidnapping. He added that he had no information about Schilling's condition.

He said the Philippine government's emissary reported seeing Schilling on Jolo island in the hands of a faction of the Abu Sayyaf guerrilla group, which has been holding six Europeans captive for months on the island.

The rebels say they believe Schilling works for the CIA, a rebel spokesman said in a Philippine radio interview.

The spokesman said Schiller would be killed if Washington and Manila did not negotiate.

"Maybe we will behead him," he said.

"We have been trying very hard to get an American because the Americans may think we are afraid of them," he replied when asked if they had abducted Schilling to prevent a military operation against Abu Sayyaf.

Schilling arrived in the Philippines in March and has been living in a house with his Filipino girlfriend in Zamboanga, according to immigration records.

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