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20/09/2004
Family of British hostage appeal for son's return
The family of Ken Bigley, the Liverpool man being held hostage in Iraq, have appealed for his safe release.
In a statement sent to the Arab media Mr Bigley's younger brother Philip said that he spoke on behalf of their elderly mother who just wants to see her son return home "safe and sound".
Ken Bigley and two Americans were abducted on Thursday from a house in Baghdad's Mansour district. Militants, believed to be members of the Tawhid and Jihad (Unification and Holy War) Group, have threatened to kill the men on Monday, unless all women prisoners in Iraqi jails are freed.
Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has been in talks with Tony Blair over the weekend and both said that everything possible was being done to ensure the safe release of the men. Following news of the kidnappers ultimatum Mr Blair said the Government was "monitoring the situation. We are doing everything we can".
Mr Bigley has worked for the last 10 years as a civil engineer all over the Arab world. He has spent periods working in Qatar, Oman, Jordan and the UAE and according to his brother sees the Arab world as his second home. Until now he was working along with his fellow American hostages for a Middle East-based general services and construction contractor.
The three detainees are the latest among more than 100 foreigners who have been abducted in Iraq over the past 17 months by Iraqi insurgents, intent on driving foreign troops from the country.
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In a statement sent to the Arab media Mr Bigley's younger brother Philip said that he spoke on behalf of their elderly mother who just wants to see her son return home "safe and sound".
Ken Bigley and two Americans were abducted on Thursday from a house in Baghdad's Mansour district. Militants, believed to be members of the Tawhid and Jihad (Unification and Holy War) Group, have threatened to kill the men on Monday, unless all women prisoners in Iraqi jails are freed.
Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has been in talks with Tony Blair over the weekend and both said that everything possible was being done to ensure the safe release of the men. Following news of the kidnappers ultimatum Mr Blair said the Government was "monitoring the situation. We are doing everything we can".
Mr Bigley has worked for the last 10 years as a civil engineer all over the Arab world. He has spent periods working in Qatar, Oman, Jordan and the UAE and according to his brother sees the Arab world as his second home. Until now he was working along with his fellow American hostages for a Middle East-based general services and construction contractor.
The three detainees are the latest among more than 100 foreigners who have been abducted in Iraq over the past 17 months by Iraqi insurgents, intent on driving foreign troops from the country.
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30 September 2004
Son of UK hostage appeals again to kidnappers
The son of UK hostage Ken Bigley has made a direct appeal to the militant kidnappers to release his father, following on from Al Jazeera's broadcast yesterday of new footage which confirmed that Mr Bigley is still alive. The Qatar-based news agency broadcast a short sequence yesterday showing the 62-year-old engineer sitting squat in a mesh cage.
Son of UK hostage appeals again to kidnappers
The son of UK hostage Ken Bigley has made a direct appeal to the militant kidnappers to release his father, following on from Al Jazeera's broadcast yesterday of new footage which confirmed that Mr Bigley is still alive. The Qatar-based news agency broadcast a short sequence yesterday showing the 62-year-old engineer sitting squat in a mesh cage.
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