London Times: Bigley Beheaded "After MI6 Rescue Backfired"

[DeepModem Mom]

October 10, 2004
Bigley beheaded ‘after MI6 rescue backfired’
Hala Jaber, Baghdad and Ali Rifat, Latifiya


DISGUISED in an Arab robe and headdress, the British hostage Ken Bigley escaped from his captors in Iraq by car the day before they beheaded him, it was claimed last night.

A Saudi described as a spokesman for the group that kidnapped Bigley said two of his captors had accepted a large sum of money to help him flee after three weeks of captivity. The money was provided by a Syrian and an Iraqi who had penetrated the group on behalf of British intelligence, the spokesman claimed....

***

But after only five minutes the vehicle was halted by other members of the Tawhid and Jihad terrorist group....They took the 62-year-old Liverpool engineer back to the house where he had been held, and he was beheaded on Thursday. His two helpers were also executed, the spokesman said....

***

The claim of an MI6 rescue attempt that backfired came from a man described by resistance fighters in Latifiya as the only person who could speak for the Tawhid and Jihad group. They gave his name as Abu Ahmad al-Saudi and his temporary address as a house in the village of Jars al-Sakher....

***

....The Foreign Office refused to comment and Downing Street said it did not know if the claims of an escape were true....An American official described them as credible and an Iraqi government source was quoted as saying that witnesses had reported seeing Bigley recaptured....


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1302700,00.html

[sventvkg]

1. IF it's true, I say at least the Brits tried something...Kudos to that

Hey man it's more then we have done....Takes a lot of guts to send commando's in in an almost hopeless situation...The pussy Chimp wouldnt' do it.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. I've been in Britain during this entire awful thing --

It's a much smaller country than ours, of course, so it's easier to unite as a country, but I must say that I have to hand it to the Brits here. It's been a huge, continuing news story, and the family has received enormous support. I think more people here have ties in, and knowledge of, foreign countries, and can use contacts in them. Bigley's brother went to Iraq himself. Leaflets were distributed in Iraq imploring help from anyone. Muslim leaders from here went to Iraq to appeal for Bigley's life. And now, this report of British security services apparently successfully compromising captors, in an attempt to rescue Bigley. I don't know if we can, or if we try, to exert the same sort of effort with regard to our hostages.

After his death, there have been observances, signing of condolences, etc., including a moment of silence at a major football game -- and coverage continues.

[Devils Advocate NZ]

3. If true, it was a MONUMENTAL cock up...

The fact that he was recaptured in a nation being OCCUPIED by the people trying to rescue him is an indication of just how BADLY this operation was carried out.

If the operation HAD been carried out properly, there would have been an SAS team to perform the extraction and significant air cover to secure the escape routes.

Either this story is not true, the agents involved decided to hot dog it and go it alone, or the British military stuffed up in a major way.

[spooked]

5. Looks like the country is now taken over by insurgents

and they completely rule the road.

[nodictators]

9. Well, this story certainly lets Tony bLIAR off the hook

You see, Bigley and his two unnamed helpers escaped, thanks to "MI6 and GCHQ, the government eavesdropping centre at Cheltenham, (both of which) had been closely involved in attempts to locate Bigley. An SAS unit had also been put on standby to move in."

Too bad, so sad, but Phony Baloney Tony got off the hook. Now, he can be good for a third term as PM.

Anyone want to buy a copy of Phony Tony's Iraq dossiers?

[truth2power]

13. Air cover.

Seems like we can send in aircraft to flatten residential areas and vaporize wedding parties, but nothing to spare to secure the escape route. Seems like a no-brainer to me. But then I'm not in Washington getting filthy rich on this clusterfusck!!!

Also..excellent point, DA..."The fact that he was recaptured in a nation being OCCUPIED by the people trying to rescue him is an indication of just how BADLY this operation was carried out."

<sigh> You couldn't make up stuff like this!

[Poll_Blind]

16. Very good point...

You're absolutely correct. "The fact that he was recaptured in a nation being OCCUPIED by the people trying to rescue him is an indication of just how BADLY this operation was carried out." and the level of coverage our occupation provides...Sadly, looks like the only part of Iraq we occupy are the parts that currently have our tanks resting on them.

PB

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

17. Or, more likely the US was supposed to help with that

and muffed it up somehow.

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. Exactly. I admire the brits for trying.

The reality is that we don't have a foothold in their organization. No human intelligence on the ground. Poor devils. They were probably turned in by the very same people who took the bribe.

I hope they find each one of those who were involved and take them down.

[saigon68]

4. I wonder how much they will have to pay Bigley's "Replacement"

To go and help the Iraqis achieve "Democracy"

[Roy]

6. Wonder how much the "large" sum of money was that they paid?

They said that at least one of the women was about to be released before the demand.
Will she still be released now after the hostage and two intelligence assets are dead?

Well, at least they didn't negotiate with the hostage takers, so now we can rest assured that they won't kidnap anyone else. right??? right???

[AP]

11. They turned people on the inside. The money went to people who didn't...

...stay with the group and their lack of success resulted in their deaths.

I'm not sure how paying people in those circumstances creates an incentive to kidnap people.

[Roy]

12. I get your point....

But, that was not my implication, I was just trying to note the fine line in not paying to free a hostage and paying others and risking lives to free a hostages.

It's a situation I hope never to have to confront. But, it seems like much more of a fine line than just a "damn the consequences, we never negotiate with hostage takers."

After all, it's a lot easier to take that stand when it's someone else's family member in harms way.
In this particular case it seemed to me that politics were quickly injected to preempt whatever else may be contemplated, and may have contributed to the end of this mans' life.
I sincerely don't know what I would have done, and hope I never have to find out.

[Point_n_click]

8. Sad and odd.

Sad to hear of anyone losing their life.

Odd in that the reports indicate involvement by someone perhaps part of the Saudi family as a spokeman for the ones doing the kidnapping and killing. (Abu Ahmad al-Saudi)

[Mr E McSquare]

10. Yeah I was thinking that also.

Al Saudi?

[venus]

14. This poor man has suffered so.

Can you imagine how it feels to be on the brink of freedom and then being taken back to your captors. Such suffering is so inhumane. And the hopes of his family shattered again and again. I admire the Brits for trying though. But damn it hurts. What went through his mind for those brief 5 minutes. I can't imagine.

[ladybugg33]

15. How utterly insane!! If the Brits were going to do this, why not release

the women prisoners (hostages) that the coalition is holding? The lives of all of those three men would have been spared. The phony macho, Rambo charade that the US and UK go through costs the loss of lives that might have been spared. All to keep up a front that makes no sense.

[Briar]

18. The Brits didn't hold those women

(I'm not saying they don't hold others - who knows). The Americans do. Weeks ago, the so-called Iraqi government said it would release the two women prisoners the US admits to having (and I am pretty sure there must be a lot more they don't admit to) on the grounds that, after an investigation, there was nothing against them. The Americans slapped them down and refused to let the women go.

[BUSHOUT]

19. Anyone have a link to the video of this?n/t