The Irish family of aid charity chief Margaret Hassan, taken hostage last month, on Tuesday said they believe she is dead. Their statement followed a report that a video, showing her execution, was sent to al Jazeera TV. In it, Mrs. Hassan is shown being shot through the head. She was blindfolded and dressed in an orange suit.
The statement of the family said: "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."
Meanwhile, an American soldier was killed and another injured in an attack on their convoy north of Baghdad. The convoy was attacked at about 10 am (0700 GMT) by "indirect fire," the US military declared Tuesday. (albawaba.com)
