Again, A British Citizen’s Tearful Plea

On October 19, Margaret Hassan, Director of the British charity CARE International’s operations in Iraq, was kidnapped by gunmen in west Baghdad on her way to work and has since appeared on a videotape broadcast by the Al-Jazeera news network. She is shown pleading for her life and asks Prime Minister Tony Blair to halt Britain’s involvement in Iraq.

The day before the release of the plea, the British Government agreed to meet a U.S. request to deploy a battalion of British troops into volatile central Iraq despite strong criticism at home.

“Please help me, please help me. This might be my last hour,” said Hassan desperately in a choked voice.

In the video, Hassan said her abductors had linked her fate to the actions of Britain. “Please, British people ask Mr. Blair to take the troops out of Iraq and not to bring them here to Baghdad. That’s why people like Mr. Bigley and myself are being caught and maybe we will die,” Hassan said, referring to British hostage Kenneth Bigley, who was beheaded in early October. Hassan’s desperate appeal may prompt further opposition among the British public, where support for the Iraq war has never been strong.

A Dublin native, 59-year-old Hassan is married to an Iraqi. She is a citizen of Britain, Ireland and Iraq and has been involved with aid work in Iraq for nearly 30 years. She joined CARE International soon after it began operation in Iraq in 1991, managing a staff of 60 Iraqis who run nutrition, health and water programs throughout the country.

CARE International has suspended its operation in Iraq since the abduction. On October 25, hundreds of people took to the streets in Baghdad, calling for the release of Hassan. This is the first public protest against abduction in the Iraqi capital since the wave of hostage taking began.

“Margaret Hassan has spent more than 30 years working for the Iraqi people. We hope all Iraqis will join us in calling for her immediate release.”

Jack Straw

British Foreign Secretary

“If it wasn’t for her [Margaret Hassan], we would probably have died. She made us feel happy again. I can truly say that we love her, and we are very upset by what has happened.”

Ahmed Jabir

Iraqi boy who took to the street for release of Hassan

“We hope that it is not a Muslim group that is behind this act [abduction of Margaret Hassan], especially that this woman has done a lot for Iraq throughout the years. A Muslim does not repay good with evil.”

Dawoud Abdullah

British Islamic Council

“Margaret Hassan is a naturalized Iraqi citizen and always holds the people of Iraq in her heart.”

Denis Caillaux

Secretary General of Care International

“Nobody is going to give in to the demands of Margaret Hassan’s captors. We have to remain very strong and adamant that we should bring the terrorists to justice.”

Ayad Allawi

Iraqi Prime Minister