Kenneth Bigley was beheaded last Friday. Evidentally, rumors abound that Bigley escaped and was on his way to a US-controlled area when he and those who helped him escape were re-captured. The Guardian Unlimited today gives more of the details.
Just prior to his death, with cameras rolling, Bigley is seen kneeling in front of his captors, seemingly resolved knowing that he was taking in his last moments of life. Bigley is heard saying: "Here I am again, Mr. Blair....very, very close to the end of my life. You don't appear to have done anything to help me. I'm not a difficult person. I am a simple man who just wants to live a simple life with his family."
His captors, a militant group suspected of being allies with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who previously beheaded the Bigley's housemates, the two Americans Jack Hensley and Eugene Armstrong in September, were demanding the release of Iraqi women in Abu Grhaib. Though Britain attempted to work with the captors, they kept communicating that they have no Iraqi women as prisoners.
After Bigley's statements, one of the captors added: "Britain is not serious in releasing our sisters. There is nothing further for this wicked Briton than the sword."
The captor then drew his knife from his belt while three of the others grabbed Bigley and shoved him to the floor. Bigley's head was then severed and held up.
I am devastated by Bigley's loss. Like Armstrong and Hensley, Bigley was in Iraq working on the reconstruction of Iraq. His intentions were good and noble. His heart was in the right place. Rest in peace, Kenneth Bigley.
One of the editorials from Sunday's mail in the Guardian Unlimited, October 10 wrote the following about Bigley's tragic death:
"The gross, cruel murder of Mr Bigley has touched the British people in a way that many other more anonymous horrors in Iraq have failed to do ...
"Mr Bigley was in Iraq to take part in its reconstruction, a task much valued and encouraged by the government ... Tony Blair has a responsibility towards those, especially Britons, who are brave enough to undertake this work. We should also remember that none of this would be happening if the invasion had not taken place. Mr Blair is most certainly personally responsible for Britain's involvement in this war ... While Mr Bigley may have been a volunteer, thousands of young soldiers have no choice in the matter. They must stay in Iraq for as long as Mr Blair wants them to, and under conditions that are far from safe."
Read other editorials from Britain here.
