One Bulgarian hostage is killed

Aljazeera is reporting that one of the Bulgarian captives has been killed. Bulgaria has previously said it will not change its policies in the face of the threats against two of its citizens. It's not clear to me what that would have to do with the threats, because the demand in return for freeing them is the release of Iraqi prisoners. Unless the Bulgarians have some influence I don't know about over the release of Iraqi prisoners, I'd say the fate of the Bulgarian truck drivers is in the hands of the U.S. military.

Meanwhile, another group is holding a Filipino truck driver. It's assumed he will be released, as the Philippines' President Arroyo has indicated that country will meet the captors' demands by pulling out Filipino troops as soon as possible.

Washington is making warning statements to Manila.

"If we pull out and give in, we project vulnerability,'' said Nereus Acosta, a foreign affairs vice chairman in the Philippine House of Representatives. "At the same time we can't also be seen as numb to the plight of Angelo. It's our fault for getting into this. We're paying the price and he's the sacrificial lamb.''

I imagine they will be a little more reticent about "getting into" another mess in the future.