The Arabic television station, Al Jazeera, was last night expected to broadcast a copy of an Irish passport issued to the hostage, Mr Kenneth Bigley, yesterday in the hope of securing his release, writes Mark Brennock, Chief Political Correspondent.
The Government issued the passport after a request from the kidnap victim's brother, Mr Paul Bigley, who said that establishing his brother's "Irishness" was crucial to his fate.
The Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday scanned and e-mailed a copy of the passport to Mr Paul Bigley, who immediately e-mailed it to Al Jazeera. The expected broadcast of the passport is the latest in a series of interventions by the Government and other Irish political figures in an attempt to save the life of the 62-year-old engineer.
Mr Paul Bigley has said he is convinced that establishing his brother's Irish heritage is crucial to his fate.
The issue of the passport followed last week's statement by the Taoiseach to Al Jazeera seeking Mr Bigley's release, as well as interviews with Labour's Mr Michael D. Higgins and Sinn Féin's Mr Gerry Adams on the Arabic-language news channel.
In the wake of unverified reports that a ransom may be sought for the hostage's release, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Ahern, said yesterday that the Government would not consider paying any ransom, as this would only encourage other hostage-takers.
Mr Ahern issued the passport after consultations with the British government. Mr Bigley already holds a British passport. However, his mother is Irish, entitling him to an Irish passport, and Mr Ahern said yesterday he was confident that the issuing of the passport fulfilled all legal requirements.
The British said they had no objections, Mr Ahern said. However, some Government sources said London had said they did not believe issuing an Irish passport would make any difference.
An Iraqi cleric who met Mr Bigley on Saturday has been reported as saying that the kidnappers "clearly stated to me that they have no fight with the Irish people, but were unsure if he was an Irishman or an Englishman". Imam Syed al-Kareem said: "The Irish have fought like us to wipe the stain of English imperialism, murder and rape from their lands."
Mr Ahern said he had been in contact with the leadership of the Arab League yesterday to see if that organisation could play any role in the matter. He had already asked the government of Jordan, seen as an "honest broker" in the region, if it could intervene, he said.
Mr Bigley was captured in Iraq along with two US workers by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Tawhid and Jihad group on September 16th. The two Americans have since been beheaded by the group, which is linked to al-Qaeda.
Mr Paul Bigley said that he believed his brother might have been passed to another group called al-Raid al-Sud or Black Flag, which has released Italian hostages and others in exchange for ransoms.
Jack Fairweather adds from Baghdad: An Iraqi reporter working for a British newspaper has claimed to have met the kidnappers holding Mr Bigley. Abu Amir, an alleged spokesman for the Tawhid and Jihad group, said they had sent the British government a list of conditions three days ago but had not received a reply yet.
He quashed speculation that Mr Bigley had been given to a more moderate group. "He is in our hands. If anyone from us is arrested by the Americans we'll kill him immediately," said Abu Amir. But he said the group wanted to get Mr Bigley off their hands.
Britain's Foreign Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, who paid a surprise visit to Kirkuk in Iraq yesterday, said he was not aware of any British government contact with Mr Bigley's kidnappers.