Leonida

Tony Blair has vowed to do all he can to help free an aid chief kidnapped in Baghdad.


Video Horror

Margaret Hassan, who heads CARE International's operation in Iraq, was shown with her hands bound behind her back looking "very distressed'' in a video on Arab TV station Al-Jazeera.

The charity worker, who was born in Dublin and holds dual British and Iraqi nationality, was snatched as she was being driven to work in the west of the capital.

Al-Jazeera reported that an unnamed "armed Iraqi group'' said it had kidnapped Mrs Hassan, who is in her fifties.


Proof of ID: Mrs Hassan's papers were filmed

The video showed the aid worker, who views herself as Iraqi and has lived in the country for 30 years, sitting with her hands tied behind her back, as well as shots of her passport, credit and identity cards.

Mr Blair told reporters: "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.''

Mrs Hassan, who is married to an Iraqi, has worked tirelessly for more than 25 years providing humanitarian relief in Iraq and has been a vocal opponent of international sanctions.


Shortly before the US and British invasion of Iraq in 2003, she warned that the country could face a humanitarian catastrophe if war went ahead and has since expressed frustration over the effect of the conflict.

Described by friends as caring, tough and direct, she began working for CARE soon after it began operations in Iraq in 1991.

She commands a staff of 60 Iraqis who run nutrition, health and water programmes throughout the country, and was determined to stay in Iraq when the US and British invasion began last year.

CARE said it was unaware of a motive for the abduction, adding: "As far as we know, Margaret is unharmed. Needless to say, we are doing whatever we can to secure her release. But equally, it would be unhelpful for us to comment further at this time.''

source, aol.co.uk.

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Ugh.

MoonBerry

Ugh indeed..

Duffyboy

F*ck Sake!

This is what I mean by getting all British citizens and soldiers out of Iraq.

And people still don't believe that the situation in Iraq is un-winnable because it all boils down to religious fanatics. AKA Scum.

Let's hope this doesn't end up like another Bigley.

GrgotSlave

Oh god, that's so sad. Well, is there any update on her condition or something?

Duffyboy

None as of yet, all we really know is that she is being taken hostage by the same loonies who kidnapped Bigley.

CrAZyBeAuTiFuL4

Why MUST you refer to name calling?!?! *pulls out hair* I swear to god...if you can't express your opinion in a mature fashion that does NOT include name calling, then just don't post anything.

YesJess

You read my mind.

Duffyboy

One of my countrywomen's life is in threat because of this pointless war and again I don't have the right to tell what I think of the lunatics responsible?

CrAZyBeAuTiFuL4

You really don't seem to get the point, do you? Everyone here is free to express their opinion. However, there are many ways in which to express said opinion.

1) you can go the immature route and use name calling as a way of getting your point across. If you should choose this path you will more than likely piss people off and consequently they won't want to hear anything else you have to say about other related matteres.

2) you can express your opinion in a mature fashion in which you don't resort to name calling and simply deal with the issue at hand, which happens to be this woman being kidnapped.

I'll choose to go with option 2:

I think it's terrible that she's been taken by these people when it seems she's done nothing wrong. I wish her the best and I hope she makes it out okay. I hope Britian and the US do everything they can to get her safely back.

Duffyboy

Sigh

I can't stand the mess that both this world and my life is in right now. It's a result of me being so sick of everything in the world, including my personal life at the moment that my opinions are strong. Therefore so is my attitude to those who are screwing it up for myself and others.

Hopefully as I've said this won't turn into another Ken Bigley. And even more hopefully, I'd like to send a message to all the troops in Iraq, In particular the Brittish.....

LEAVE! GET OUT! GO!

There is nothing you can do there whatsoever to stop these people. You don't belong there and you will never win what is the most poiintless war on earth. You are throwing your lives away on a daily basis only for to find no weapons and no hope of defeating these fanatics. Give up and get out of there!

Before we run out of coffins.