I don't understand this at all. Apparently Ireland has issued Kenneth Bigley a passport. Convincing a group that has viciously beheaded other captives that he's Irish is supposed to cause sympathy or something.
Reuters
Ireland has granted British hostage Ken Bigley a passport following calls from his family who hope that stressing his Irish connections will persuade his kidnappers in Iraq to release him.
"Mr. Kenneth Bigley's family has asked for an Irish passport to be issued in order to help convince his kidnappers of his Irish citizenship," Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern said in a statement.
"I am happy to agree to this request and I, and the Taoiseach (Prime Minister), and the government as a whole, very much hope that it will contribute to the efforts to secure his release," he added.
Bigley, 62, qualifies for an Irish passport through his Dublin-born mother. The country took a neutral stand in the U.S.-led war against Iraq.
I'm all for helping someone in any way you can, but this seems like a really weird story to me.
Hat tip: Jawa Report and Backcountry Conservative
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Other Entries on Kenneth Bigley from Diggers Realm:
Two Americans And A Briton Taken Hostage In Baghdad (Sep. 16)
New Video Released By Zarqawi Of Hostage Kenneth Bigley (Sep. 22)
A New Video Of Hostage Kenneth Bigley Released (Sep. 29)
Recent Video Of Hostage Kenneth Bigley In A Cage Was Staged? (Oct. 2)
Kenneth Bigley Issued Irish Passport (Oct. 6)
Hostage Kenneth Bigley Reportedly Beheaded By Terrorists (Oct. 8)
Kenneth Bigley Beheaded [ Video ] (Oct. 10)
