The husband of kidnapped charity chief Ms Margaret Hassan today made a second plea to her Baghdad kidnappers to release her.
Tahsin Hassan, the husband of Margaret Hassan,
"Release my wife. She's Iraqi, she's working for a humanitarian organisation and I ask you to release her," Mr Tahseen Ali Hassan said.
Dublin-born Ms Hassan, the head of operations in Iraq for the humanitarian group CARE International, was abducted on her way to work on Tuesday by gunmen who blocked her route and dragged the driver and a companion from the car, her husband said.
At a press conference, the retired Iraqi economist said there had been no claimed of responsibility for her abduction and he did not know if she was taken by a religious or political group. He said his wife would be "nervous of course" but called her "a strong lady".
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Dermot Ahern, and his Palestinian counterpart, Dr Nabeel Shaath, today issued a joint appeal for the release of Ms Hassan.
"We join together to issue this joint appeal for the release of Margaret Hassan. We do so in our own names and on behalf of the Irish and Palestinian peoples," the statement read.
"Margaret Hassan is an Irish citizen by virtue of her Irish birth. She became an Iraqi citizen during the many years in which she has lived in Iraq. During these years, Margaret has been a champion of the people of Iraq. As a worker with the Care agency, she has worked tirelessly to help the Iraqi people during their long years of suffering. She has spoken out in their interests to the international media. She does not deserve to be treated in this way.
"Her family in Iraq, in Ireland and elsewhere should not be suffering as they are now. For the sake of humanity, compassion and the people of Iraq, we appeal to Margaret's captors to release her forthwith," the statement concluded.
Ms Hassan, who is in her early sixties, has worked in Iraq for three decades and is among the most widely known humanitarian officials in the Middle East.
She was born in Dublin, grew up in Britain but has lived in Iraq for 32 years. She holds Irish, British and Iraqi citizenship.
Additonal reporting AP
