- (Agencies) -- The humanitarian aid group Care
International
today announced that the British-born head of its Iraqi operation had been
kidnapped in Baghdad.
-
- Al-Jazeera, the Arabic language news channel, later
broadcast
a video of Margaret Hassan - an Iraqi national - who was abducted this
morning. Ms Hassan had been working for Care in Iraq for more than a
decade.
-
- The Reuters news agency said the video showed her sitting
in a room, looking anxious. No audio could be heard. The station showed
close-ups of her identification cards, and said the video had been
accompanied
by a claim of responsibility from an unnamed Iraqi group.
-
- Earlier, a spokesman for Care International confirmed
that Ms Hassan, who was employed by Care Australia, had been kidnapped
at 7.30am local time (0930 BST) today. Although born in the UK, she has
lived in Iraq for 30 years.
-
- Spokesman Robert Glasser told Sky News that, as far as
the charity knew, Ms Hassan was unharmed. Officials were being careful
not to reveal too many details, fearing that could jeopardise Ms Hassan's
chances of being released.
-
- "We do want to stress that she is an Iraqi national,
not a Briton," a Care spokeswoman said. "We want to stress that
she sees herself as an Iraqi. Iraq is her home. She has been living there
for many years, and would never consider coming back to
Britain."
-
- Mr Glasser added that Ms Hassan "is very much
focused
on the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people, and has been for last 25
years".
-
- The prime minister, Tony Blair, speaking to reporters
at Downing Street, said the government would do "whatever we can"
to secure Mrs Hassan's release.
-
- Speaking after previously scheduled talks with the UN
secretary general, Kofi Annan, Mr Blair said: "This is someone who
has lived in Iraq for 30 years, someone who is immensely respected, someone
who is doing their level best to help the country. I think it shows you
the type of people we are up against.
-
- "We don't know which group it is, so there's really
a limit at this stage to what I can say to you. We will do whatever we
can, obviously."
-
- Jack Straw, the foreign secretary, said he was "very
concerned" by the kidnapping, adding: "Our thoughts and prayers
go out to her, her family and her colleagues."
-
- A foreign office spokesman said the embassy was trying
urgently to establish what had happened, and was working closely with the
Iraqi authorities. "Consular officials are in touch with her next
of kin," the spokesman said.
-
- Ideel Jafferi, a spokesmand for the Birmingham-based
charity Islamic Relief, said staff were praying for Ms Hassan's safe
release.
"We call for whoever is holding her hostage to think of her family
and the good work she is doing in Iraq, and release her as soon as possible
to let her carry on with the good work she is doing," he said.
-
- "It's Ramadan - it's a time of peace and goodwill,
and in this particularly holy month they must think of the family of
Margaret
and the people she is trying to help," he added.
-
- Care International is one of the world's largest
independent
global relief and development organisations. It operates in more than 72
countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and eastern
Europe,
with its international secretariat based in Brussels, Belgium.
-
- It is one of the only international non-governmental
organisations to maintain a continuous presence in Iraq. Most other NGOs
withdrew their remaining foreign staff from the country after two Italian
aid workers were kidnapped for three weeks in September.
-
- Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited
2004
-
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq
- /Story/0,2763,1330884,00.html
|
