Posted on 09/29/2004 8:36:42 PM PDT by Murtyo
THE family of Kenneth Bigley again made an appeal to his captors for his freedom last night after they released a new video showing him chained inside a cage and pleading with British Prime Minister Tony Blair for help.
Huddling in the corner of a cage, Mr Bigley (62) is heard saying: "Please, please, help me. I'm begging you, Mr Blair, I'm begging you to speak, to push."
The cage is barely wider than his shoulders and no more than a few feet high, and a heavy chain is running around his neck and hands, binding him to the bars.
Although the grainy footage appeared to confirm his brother Paul's reports that he had received news that Mr Bigley was still alive, officials pointed out that it was not possible to confirm when the film had been made.
"Tony Blair is lying. He doesn't care about me. I'm just one person," Mr Bigley said, looking exhausted and unshaven, at times clasping his head in his hands.
The video was clearly designed to add to the pressure on Mr Blair, but the message from the British government last night was that Mr Blair would not change his hardline stance against negotiating with terrorists, despite claims that the Italian government had brokered a deal to free two of its hostages.
Mr Bigley's family said last night that while they are distressed at seeing him in this state, it was "heartening" proof he is still alive.
His younger brother, Paul Bigley, said: "If Mr Blair still doesn't budge it will be the kiss of death for Ken. We don't have long."
Hours earlier Paul Bigley told how he had received a statement from the Tahwid wal Jihad group claiming they did not want to kill their hostage.
They say the British public should force Tony Blair to act to save the Liverpool-born engineer.
just saw al jazeera (phonetic) coverage of the hostage on fox. why are we not taking action against this channel? it is clearly in contact with and aiding the terrorists? am i nuts, or is this not a reason to take action?
I'd blow up the channel
you're not nuts, they have to be. donno why the Coalition forces or the Govt of Iraq is so accepting of them. It appears obvious to me that Al Jaazera (sp??) is way to close to the actors here
scratch the word 'actors' there and replace with 'terrorists'. I didn't mean to use such a neutral/meaningless word
i hate PC. blackjack pershing would have taken their top executives hostage until they revealed their sources. why do we have to play by marquis of queensbury rules, when everyone else (including the craven french and germans) can hit below the belt?
The terrorists certainly enjoy tormenting people.
Imagine being Tony Blair and trying to sleep at nite. Knowing that he could give the okay for this man's release, but in turn be enabling countless more murders by giving them power.
Imagine this poor man's family.
These terrorists are swine.
If Tony Blair or any other leader in this world was to surrender to the demands of evil people like the terrorists who have been beheading innocent civilians in Iraq, it would be sign of weakness that would only insure more acts of barbarism by these Satanic Extremist in the Muslim World.
The day is coming when the peaceful Muslims of this world step up and denounce the perverted version of Islam these radical dead enders represent.
if they don't, a repeat of the 9th century is inevitable
I'm sorry for the family..but Ken went to a dangerous country with dangerous savages..he should have had several guns with him..shoot anyone who comes near him that he does not know..I admit I am no fan of Geraldo Rivera..but when he was covering the initial afghan war three years ago..he and his entourage clearly brought weapons..and he said.."I came here not to be a victim"..and he walked away from it..to even acknowledge the shaved apes who hold the hostage is dangerous for all of us..England should ignore him..sorry..
So much for "Stiff upper lip".
http://www.homelandsecurityus.com Scan down to breaking news. Question is when the kidnappings will start happening here in the U.S.
I'm not enough of a man to judge a man who's going thru something like this. I hope I never have to know what he has come to know.
I agree. We have no idea what they are doing to this man off camera.
It used to be fashionable to face death with courage and dignity. Grovelling was discouraged and ridiculed. It was a better world then.
there were no video cameras back then
"It used to be fashionable to face death with courage and dignity. Grovelling was discouraged and ridiculed. It was a better world then."
I think this is the only way this man is staying alive. If he refuses to cooperate with the terrorist, they have no use for him and kill him immediately. Since he is pleading for his life in the manner he is, they will keep him alive because he is useful for them.
Not saying its wrong or right, but it would be a hard decision to make for anyone. If it were me, I think I would have been beheaded by now.
I really don't think the headline is honest. To say Blair is 'uncaring' is quite a stretch, and tantamount to calling Bush a 'warmongering cowboy'.
Back when people had a sense of honor, grovelling at the feet of your enemy was worse than death.
Honor is what you have left when you are utterly alone--without TV cameras and without hope. It seems to me that it would be easier to put on a brave face in front of the cameras and break down alone.
How could he stand to live after his pleading and abject grovelling has been seen around the world. How can a person live with that?
I realize I'm speaking a foreign language to the thereputic televised culture.
It's going to be impossible to win this war without regaining a sense of honor.
I'll say it: Grovelling in front of your enemies is wrong, wrong, wrong! Unless we relearn these old ideas of honor, we will never prevail
If it were me, I think I would have been beheaded by now.
That's honorable.
How can this guy live with himself after this?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.