Hostage's brother accuses US of 'sabotage'

The brother of British hostage Kenneth Bigley today accused the US government of “sabotaging” moves to free his brother.

Paul Bigley said that his brother had been granted a “stay of execution” by yesterday’s announcement by Iraqi authorities they would free female prisoner Dr Rihab Taha – a key demand of the hostage-takers.

But the US authorities in Iraq moved swiftly to say that the former germ warfare specialist, who is in their custody, would not be freed.

Following the release of a direct video plea from Mr Bigley to ask British Prime Minister Tony Blair to intervene, Paul Bigley today said that the UK and US should keep out of what should be an internal Iraqi affair.

He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “Mr Blair can go fishing as far as I’m concerned. He hasn’t got to call or do anything.

“All the powers have to do now is allow the Iraqis to conduct their own internal affairs the way they should be doing. They have been handed over sovereignty to conduct their business on a day-to-day basis.

“A judge has made a legal decision to release three people, one female and two males. The Minister of Justice has endorsed this, and this gentleman published this on the international news.

“Based on this, together with my personal lobbying in the background in the Middle East, we had a stay of execution and we have saved my brother’s life for at least 24 hours.

“That was a shadow of light in a big, long, dark, damp, filthy, cold tunnel. Now this has been sabotaged.”

Mr Bigley asked: “Is this a puppet government or the Americans moving the goalposts to suit their own aims again? What is going on here?

“Leave the Iraqis to do their own Iraqi business.”