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Blair deplores Iraq hostage killing as brother faults UK

Prime Minister Tony Blair condemned the killers of British hostage Kenneth Bigley as "barbaric," and most of the victim's relatives praised his handling of the crisis. But one of Bigley's brothers said that Blair has "blood on his hands" in Iraq.

The beheading brought to an end a three-week drama of videos released by the kidnappers showing the victim crying and begging for freedom.

A US 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, as was shown on a video of his beheading, the Washington official said on Friday in Washington, speaking on condition of anonymity. There was no word on the fate of his captor. A Western official in Baghdad refused to talk about the escape attempt report.

Bigley's death could fuel public opposition to Britain's role in the US-led war and anger against Blair, whose popularity has slumped since backing Washington in the offensive.

Bigley, 62, was abducted Sept. 16 along with two Americans from their home in Baghdad. His kidnappers were members of Tawhid and Jihad, Iraq's most feared terrorist group.

The two Americans were beheaded a few days later.

Bigley's brother Phil said Friday the family had received "absolute proof" that Ken had been "executed by his captors."

"The family here in Liverpool believe that our government did everything it possibly could to secure the release of Ken in this impossible situation," he said, in a statement he read on television.

Bigley's other brother, Paul, was critical of the government.

In a written statement to the organizers of a Stop the War Coalition rally in Liverpool on Friday evening, he said: "Please, please stop this war and prevent other lives being lost. It is illegal and has to stop. Mr. Blair has blood on his hands."

Blair said on national television: "I feel utter revulsion at the people who did this. Not just at the barbaric nature of the killing, but the way, frankly, they played with the situation over the past few weeks."

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the UK government had exchanged messages with Bigley's captors in an effort to win his release.

"Four days ago, an individual approached the British Embassy in Baghdad presenting himself as a potential intermediary with the captives. It was very clearly in Mr. Bigley's interests to establish contacts," Straw said.

"Messages were exchanged with the hostage-takers in an attempt to dissuade them from carrying out their threat to kill Mr. Bigley, but at no stage did they abandon their demands relating to the release of women prisoners, even though they were fully aware there are no women prisoners in our custody in Iraq."

Across Britain, people of all faiths mourned Bigley's death.

"We are appalled and profoundly saddened by the cold-blooded murder of Kenneth Bigley after a protracted period of mental torture and anguish," said Iqbal Sacranie of the Muslim Council of Britain, a group of moderate Muslims that had sent a delegation to Iraq last month to try and win Bigley's release.
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