Rory Carroll, the Irish journalist released by kidnappers after 36 hours in Baghdad, arrived home in Dublin yesterday stating that it was vital there was still a strong media presence in Iraq.
At a press conference at the airport, Carroll, a Guardian newspaper journalist, said no story was worth a life so it was a matter of trying to get the balance right between security precautions and getting information. He would like to go back to Iraq at some point but it was not going to happen in the short to medium term.
Then with the typical humour that marked his answers, he added that his family would "probably lock him in the garden shed" rather than let him return.
The Guardian would be holding meetings next week to discuss how it would now approach Iraq as a story, he said.
Carroll was released on Thursday. He was then taken by military aircraft from Baghdad to Kuwait from where he flew on a civilian flight from Kuwait to London Heathrow.
Yesterday, he travelled the last leg home from London to Dublin. When he arrived at the airport at about 4pm, he was reunited with his family in a private meeting.
The press conference was packed with media and there was a notable Garda presence.
Ian Prior from the Guardian, a sports journalist and friend, orchestrated the event, stressing that there would be no more interviews afterwards.
Waiting to greet Carroll when he arrived were his mother Kathy, father Joe and sister Katrina, who accompanied him to the press conference where members of the media broke into applause as he entered the room.
Flanked by his parents at the table, Carroll's demeanour was relaxed and he answered questions at length, interspersed with light-hearted comments.
He admitted, though, that he was probably still in denial and the whole thing had not really sunk in yet. He said he thought being Irish was an important factor in his release.
He forgot nobody in his thanks, including the Irish, British and Iraqi governments and his Guardian colleagues, all of whom "had not put a foot wrong" in securing his release.
He also paid tribute to family and friends and people whom he did not even know, all over the world, who had been in touch.
His mother, who gripped his hand throughout, joked that she thought he forgot her birthday.
He quipped: "Happy birthday, Mum, sadly, they kidnapped your presents." His father summed up his feelings: "I just think he's terrific."