Blair vows to do all he can for British hostage
The Prime Minister has vowed to do everything he can to secure the release of British hostage Ken Bigley, but stressed that he did not want to raise false hopes regarding the fate of the 62-year old engineer, who is being held in Iraq.
“I hope that despite all the difficulties we can do something but I just don’t know if we can,” Tony Blair told BBC TV’s Breakfast with Frost on Sunday.
Reiterating the Government’s resolve not to negotiate directly with Mr Bigley’s captors, the Prime Minister added: “There is no point in raising false hopes … we are doing everything we properly and legitimately can.”
Mr Bigley and his two American colleagues were kidnapped from their home in Baghdad by a militant group led by the wanted terrorist, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who is believed to have links to al-Qaeda.
The group has since executed the two Americans and are now threatening to kill Mr Bigley unless their demands to have all female prisoners released from Iraqi jails are met.
Mr Blair’s comments came as two British Muslim leaders landed in Iraq to press for Mr Bigley’s release.
The hostage’s family have made a number of television appeals to both the kidnappers and Mr Blair, urging for Mr Bigley’s release.
Mr Bigley’s brother Paul is also expected to address an anti-war fringe meeting in Brighton this week, amid Labour leadership fears that the hostage crisis will overshadow the start of their conference.
