Iraq’s justice minister on Tuesday night pledged to release one high-profile Iraqi woman prisoner and to consider the release of a second in a last-minute concession that may save the life of the British kidnap victim Kenneth Bigley.
The sudden change in policy came as an Islamic militant group said it had killed a second American hostage held with Bigley.
The justice minister’s pledge will offer some hope to Bigley’s family, whose agonising ordeal continued on Tuesday. Earlier the prime minister had attempted to reassure them after they said he should be devoting his efforts to securing the hostages’ release.
The kidnappers had demanded the release of all women prisoners in Iraq, although United States officials said only two were being held, both high-security detainees.
Malik Dohan al-Hassan, the justice minister, told The Guardian that his government would later today release Rihab Taha, a biological weapons scientist. A hearing would be held to determine whether to release the second woman, Huda Amash, another weapons scientist, dubbed Chemical Sally.
”It has nothing to do with the kidnapping,” he said. ”They have all been cooperative and we have decided to release them on bail. In the Huda Amash case the Americans insist she should stay in detention and we said she should be released.”
A hearing would consider the case on Wednesday, he said. ”We couldn’t find any wrongdoing they have committed.”
Yet the sense of optimism was tempered by the fear that the kidnappers, Tawhid and Jihad, who are led by the Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and represent the most ruthless insurgents in Iraq, probably intend to carry out their threat of killing regardless of any apparent concessions. It is likely that their demand for the release of women prisoners is aimed only at winning support among Iraqis angered at US abuses in Abu Ghraib prison.
The Iraqi minister’s announcement could not be confirmed by the Americans, who said they would have to approve any release. The British said they had no knowledge of the pending releases. However it is understood that a review of prisoners, including the two women, is under way.
The news of the killing of Jack Hensley (48) was posted on the website 24 hours after his American colleague Eugene Armstrong was beheaded. The statement last night said: ”The nation’s zealous children slaughtered the second American hostage … after the end of the deadline.
”We will provide you with film of the slaughter soon, God willing.”
Unlike the previous night, when Armstrong was killed, a video did not follow the statement. US officials said early on Wednesday that a body had been found but there was no immediate evidence that it was Hensley.
Shortly after the first statement another message was issued, specifically threatening Bigley with death. It continued: ”The blood of Muslims is not water and the honour of Muslim women will not be wasted in vain.
”Let Bush die from anger and Blair shed tears of blood.”
Earlier in the day, in a mid-afternoon telephone call to Bigley’s family, Blair said he appreciated no one could comprehend their agony, but there were limitations over what could be done. The family was said to have accepted his explanation that Britain could not get directly involved in negotiations with hostage-takers.
Blair said he would not bow to the hostage-takers’ demand, and pointed out that release of the women was not even in his gift.
Blair made the call after the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, initially rang the family on Tuesday.
Downing Street was not optimistic that a deal could be brokered, but stressed that appeals were being made through all the possible channels, including direct Arabic appeals to put pressure on the hostage-takers.
Ministers are also concerned at the impact on domestic community relations if Bigley is killed. It would be the first time a British civilian had been murdered in this way.
Similar hostage scenes in Italy and France caused domestic political crises. France, which has two hostages held in Iraq, has faced demands including ransom money and the lifting of restrictions on Muslim women wearing the veil in schools, while the killing of an Italian prompted renewed calls inside Italy for the withdrawal of troops.
Earlier in the day Bigley’s brother Philip (54) had criticised Blair for not devoting his efforts to securing the release of the hostages.
”Blair was seen posing with Richard Branson over a train that cuts 14 minutes off a journey to London,” he said. ”He should have been devoting that time to saving Ken’s life. He is the political leader of the country and only he has the power to save Ken now.
”Prime minister, as a family, we are begging you … please help us.”
Along with Kenneth Bigley’s son Craig (33) he also issued a final plea to the Tawhid and Jihad. Speaking before news of the second murder, he said: ”This message also goes out to the militants … we are begging you — please do not kill them.”
Bigley (62) who worked as an engineer, has been in Iraq since 2003. He was kidnapped on Thursday from the house he shared with Hensley and Armstrong. In a video released on Saturday Bigley was seen blindfolded and haggard, with his hands bound. – Guardian Unlimited Â