1.   Italian kidnapping gangs have used such cruel methods in the past to overcome reluctance to pay big ransoms.

2.   Still, government representatives have said, on condition of anonymity, that at least two of five Abu Sayyaf commanders are interested primarily in a big ransom.

3.   The rebels said they were trying to decide how big a ransom to demand for the foreigners.

4.   Delclaux was kidnapped with the aim of extracting a big ransom.