IRAQ: The following statement was released by by the brother and sisters of Margaret Hassan: Michael, Deirdre, Geraldine and Kathryn Fitzsimons
"Our hearts are broken. We have kept hoping for as long as we could, but we now have to accept that Margaret has probably gone and at last her suffering has ended.
Our prayers and thoughts are with our dear brother-in-law, Tahseen.
Margaret was a friend of the Arab world, to people of all religions.
Her love of the Arab people started in the 1960s when she worked in Palestinian camps, living with the poorest of the poor and supporting the refugees. For the past 30 years, Margaret worked tirelessly for the Iraqi people.
Margaret had only good will towards everyone. She dedicated her whole life to working for the poor and vulnerable, helping those who had no one else.
Those who are guilty of this atrocious act, and those who support them, have no excuses. Nobody can justify this. Margaret was against sanctions and the war.
To commit such a crime against anyone is unforgivable.
But we cannot believe how anybody could do this to our kind, compassionate sister. The gap she leaves will never be filled."