Hostage sacrificed for leaders' 'political ends'

The family of an aid worker murdered in Iraq has accused the British government of in effect sentencing her to death by refusing to speak to her kidnappers. The group holding Margaret Hassan had made several calls from her mobile phone to her Iraqi husband, Tahseen, demanding to speak to the British embassy, her brother and sisters said. A statement issued on their behalf said Mr. Hassan had been told by British officials that they would not speak to the hostage takers. Less than a month after the abduction in October 2004, the Dublin-born charity worker, who held an Iraqi passport and had lived in the country for 30 years, was killed. Her body has never been found. "We believe that the refusal by the British government to open a dialogue with the kidnappers cost our sister her life," said the statement, released on June 4 by Deidre, Geraldine, Kathryn and Michael Fitzsimons. "Margaret, who was vocally opposed to the war in Iraq, was sacrificed for the political ends of Tony Blair and George Bush." Three men arrested by US troops in May last year and charged in connection with the killing went on trial in Baghdad June 5. The family said they had begged the former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, his successor, Margaret Beckett, and the Foreign Office to arrange for the suspects to be interviewed by British military police officers. "They have refused this request even though this is the only way that Margaret's remains will be found and we can bring her home to be buried with the dignity she deserves," they said. "We believe the time has now come for the British and Irish people to know the truth of what happened to our sister Margaret, a British subject." The Foreign Office confirmed Hassan's husband had been called from her phone by someone claiming to be behind her abduction, but said it had been unable to confirm the claims. It said that during the kidnapping, "our strategy was one of 'personalization and localization', minimizing the links between Mrs. Hassan and the UK. We understand her family having criticisms of the government approach and we remain in regular contact with them." One of the recordings, which showed Mrs. Hassan in tears begging for British troops to be withdrawn from Iraq, was screened on the Aljazeera Arabic TV channel. At the time, Straw described it as "extremely distressing" and said: "We hope all Iraqis will join us in calling for her immediate release." The Foreign Office said it would follow the trial of the three men very closely.