British hostage slain; U.S. cites escape attempt

By NADIA ABOU EL-MAGD
The Associated Press

AP Briton Kenneth Bigley seen being held hostage in Iraq on video his captors posted Sept. 30 on the Internet. Bigley was later beheaded.

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BAGHDAD, Iraq — Kidnappers beheaded British hostage Kenneth Bigley after twice releasing videos in which he wept and pleaded with Prime Minister Tony Blair for his life, his family confirmed yesterday.

A U.S. official said there were credible reports that Bigley had tried to escape with the aid of one of his captors. The attempt failed and Bigley was killed a short time later, a beheading that was videotaped, the Washington official said on condition of anonymity. There was no word on the fate of his captor.

Bigley's brother Phil said in Britain that the family had received "absolute proof" of his death.

There were no statements on when he was beheaded, although there had been rumors of it for a couple of weeks.

The 62-year-old civil engineer was the first British hostage killed in Iraq and the 28th overall. He was kidnapped three weeks ago, along with two American co-workers. Eugene Armstrong, 52, and Jack Hensley, 48, were beheaded earlier, and footage of their killings was posted on the Internet. They worked for a United Arab Emirates company that provides services for the U.S. military.

Bigley was seized at his Baghdad home Sept. 16 by the most-feared terrorist group in Iraq, Tawhid and Jihad, along with Armstrong and Hensley.

Abu Dhabi TV described the videotape of Bigley's beheading but did not broadcast it, saying it refused "to serve as a mouthpiece for such groups or their actions."

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said messages were exchanged with Bigley's kidnappers through an intermediary in Iraq. But he said the militants refused to drop their demands, "even though they were fully aware there are no women prisoners in our custody in Iraq."

Meanwhile, another of Bigley's brothers blamed Blair, saying the prime minister has "blood on his hands."
 
In a message to organizers of a Stop the War Coalition rally in Liverpool last night, Paul Bigley said: "Please, please stop this war and prevent other lives being lost. It is illegal and has to stop."

That contrasted with a television statement by Phil Bigley. He said the family believed the government had done all it could "to secure the release of Ken."

"The horror of these final days will haunt us forever," he said. "Our only consolation is that Ken is now at peace, away from those who are capable of such atrocities."