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Breaking News

Burnham Family Statement

Aired June 07, 2002 - 07:06   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ZAHN: We are going to take a break, if you wouldn't mind standing by. We are going to go to a news conference that is being held by one of the members of the Burnham family after learning that one of their own was killed in the Philippines -- let's listen in.

(IN PROGRESS)

DOUG BURNHAM, MARTIN BURNHAM'S BROTHER: ... she has talked. That is good information as far as Gracia is concerned. We did hear that several of the rebels were killed, possibly some of the military were killed as well, the Philippine military that is. And that's pretty much the extent of what we know, and we'll just wait for more information when we hear it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did the military officers or the U.S. State Department, did they notify you that this was going to happen?

BURNHAM: We had no information that this was going to happen. We knew that they were -- there was an ongoing effort to find the hostages and to try and release them safely. We didn't have any idea that this was going to happen, no.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Doug, what are your feelings about this rescue now that it's actually happened? They had been talking about it for over a year now.

BURNHAM: Well, obviously it's not -- it hasn't turned out the way we were expecting it to turn out. But we are thankful that Gracia is alive, and we still -- our faith in the Lord is still the same. It hasn't change, and that's what we were hanging on to.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are your plans now for your family? I assume you are making some pretty (UNINTELLIGIBLE) plans.

BURNHAM: We haven't made a whole lot of plans at this point. The kids are with their grandparents (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

ZAHN: We are going to stay on this picture, as we are learning more details about the rescue attempt made in the Philippines a little bit earlier today, where Mr. Burnham, Martin Burnham was killed; his wife apparently wounded.

CNN has learned that the Burnham family found out about this horrible news directly from the president of the Philippines. As more details of this rescue operation become available, we will bring them to you live.

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