A new videotape of the kidnapped aid worker Mrs Margaret Hassan, who was seized in Baghdad two weeks ago, shows her kidnappers threatening to turn her over to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's group within 48 hours if British troops do not leave Iraq.
al-Zarqawi's group, al-Qaeda Organisation of Holy War in Iraq, is blamed for the bloodiest suicide attacks and hostage beheadings in Iraq. It beheaded British engineer Ken Bigley last month.
The latest video was sent to the Arabic television station Al Jazeera, which declined to broadcast the images of Mrs Hassan on humanitarian grounds. But it aired the second part of the video showing a hooded man demanding that British troops be withdrawn from Iraq.
Al Jazeera said it had received the video tape from the group saying it would hand over Mrs Hassan to al-Zarqawi's group within 48 hours "if Britain does not meet its demands, mainly for the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq".
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, told the Dáil about the video yesterday but news of the threat to hand Ms Hassam over to Zarqawi only emerged later.
The initial part of the video showed 59-year-old Mrs Hassan pleading for her life directly to camera before fainting. A bucket of water was then believed to have been thrown over her head and she was filmed lying wet and helpless on the ground before getting up and crying.
Mrs Hassan, who holds joint British, Irish and Iraqi citizenship, was seized outside her Baghdad home two weeks ago by unknown militants.
Speaking following a meeting in Dublin yesterday with Mrs Hassan's three sisters and brother, Mr Ahern made a renewed plea for the release of Ms Hassan. He said: "Margaret is an Irish-born woman who has spent the last 30 years in Iraq. She has made her home there, marrying an Iraqi man and becoming a proud Iraqi citizen herself.
"During her time there, Margaret has devoted herself to the welfare and support of all the Iraqi people. Through her humanitarian work she has helped countless numbers of Iraqis.
"She has worked tirelessly and selflessly on their behalf. Since Margaret was abducted some two weeks ago her husband and her family have endured enormous distress. I cannot imagine the trauma that Margaret herself has experienced. Margaret has no political associations. She represents no one except the vulnerable and the poor.
"Your quarrel is not with Margaret. Nor is it with the Irish people who have been a firm friend of the Arab nation," said Mr Ahern, surrounded by Ms Hassan's siblings. "So, I appeal to you on behalf of the Irish people, on behalf of her Irish family, to release Margaret and to allow her to return to her husband."
