Blair warns against "raising false hopes" for British hostage in Iraq

[Barrett808]

LONDON (AFP) - Prime Minister Tony Blair warned against "raising false hopes" for a British engineer held hostage in Iraq.

Kenneth Bigley, 62, who was snatched along with two American colleagues who have since been executed, appealed directly to Blair to intervene in a video broadcast last week on an Internet site.

Asked in an interview with BBC television how he felt when he saw Bigley's appeal, Blair said: "My first reaction is the reaction of anyone, which is real sympathy for him, anger at how he is being held by those people and an earnest hope that, despite all the difficulties, we can do something.

"But I just don't know if we are able to or not. There is no point in raising false hopes because of the nature of the people we're dealing with".

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1514&e=12&u=/afp/20040926/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_hostages_britain_040926095450

[Briar]

1. Meanwhile, Bush is presumably helping

lower them by bombing Fallujah, supposedly in an attempt to kill Zarqawi. And if he kills women and children in the process - well, they won't grow up to take hostages.

[amber dog democrat]

2. He's dead already

We know where this is going. I think the worse thing is seeing the frarce played out like this. Blair does not have the courage to admit his hands are tied.
But, who in their right mind would go there for employmeent in the first place.?

[cal04]

3. REPORTS: HOSTAGE IS ALIVE

British hostage Ken Bigley is still alive, according to a London-based Islamist activist.

Yasser al-Serri, director of the Islamic Observation Centre, said the Iraqi militants behind the kidnapping had replied to his appeal for information.

There has been no independent confirmation however and the Foreign Office is treating the news with extreme caution. Two negotiators from the Muslim Council of Britain are making efforts in Iraq to secure the release of hostage Kenneth Bigley.

Dr Daud Abdullah and Dr Musharraf Hussain met religious leaders and other influential Iraqis in Baghdad.

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-13229460,00.html

[roguevalley]

4. This is the kind of thing that will sink Blair. And the sooner, the better