IRAQ: The family of British engineer Kenneth Bigley remembered yesterday that he was taken hostage in Iraq one year ago. His 87-year-old mother comes from Stepaside, Co Dublin.
After weeks of tortuous suspense, during which Mr Bigley (62) was shown caged and chained by his captors on TV screens around the world, he was beheaded after a failed escape attempt on October 7th, 2004.
"The authorities have done little or nothing to help us get Ken's remains identified and back to Britain," said his younger brother Paul, who runs an engineering supply business in the Netherlands.
"Their attitude has been in stark contrast to the Irish Government which pulled out all the stops to save my brother, with continuous appeals by the Taoiseach, behind the scenes diplomacy and the issuing of an Irish passport," he recalled yesterday.
"As months and months passed and the whereabouts of my brother's body was still a complete mystery, we appealed for another leaflet drop in Iraq; but the British authorities in Iraq said: we are afraid we can't do that, we have other priorities now.
"We also asked for his personal possessions that were in his home in Baghdad to be returned. That request has also fallen on deaf ears. It is ridiculous . . . "
In Dublin last May Mr Bigley was presented with a Best of the Irish award in recognition of his campaign on behalf of his brother and of the family's courage.
Mr Bigley said he believed his brother's unidentified body is lying with other remains found in Iraq in a cold room in the US. He had found the US authorities "anything but forthcoming".
Mr Bigley told The Irish Times that nothing had been heard from his brother's employers about financial compensation or insurance pay out for his Thai-based widow, who is said to be living on charity.
Last evening a spokesman for the British Foreign Office said: "Sadly no body has been found yet, but every effort is being made to recover Kenneth Bigley's remains and to help the family."