Ireland issues passport to Bigley
DUBLIN, Ireland (CNN) -- Ireland has issued a passport to British hostage Kenneth Bigley in the hopes it will help secure his release in Iraq.
"Mr. Kenneth Bigley's family has asked for an Irish passport to be issued in order to help convince his kidnappers of his Irish citizenship," Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern said.
"I am happy to agree to this request and I ... very much hope that it will contribute to the efforts to secure his release," Ahern said.
Ireland is a neutral nation and has opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
However, Ireland has continued to allow U.S. military planes to use its Shannon airport as a refueling point.
Ahern has been among several Irish figures who appeared on al-Jazeera satellite news channel to appeal for Bigley's release.
"We are doing it on the basis that we will help in any way we can, although it remains to be seen whether it will be of help or not," Ahern said.
The request for an Irish passport came from Bigley's family, UK's Press Association reported.
His mother, Elizabeth, was born in Ireland and then moved to Liverpool, England.
Bigley's brother, Paul, contacted the Irish authorities Monday in the Hague, Netherlands, with the request, PA reported. He said it was "very good news."
The decision comes as Saif Gadhafi, son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, confirmed Tuesday that the Bigley family had asked the Gadhafis by telephone to help win his release. (Full story)
"The (Bigley) family called two days ago," Saif Gadhafi, who heads the Gadhafi International Foundation for Charity Associations, told a news conference Tuesday in Vienna.
"We have good contacts in Iraq and ... we are talking to them. Today and tomorrow are crucial for him," he said.
Bigley, 62, was kidnapped in Baghdad on September 16 with two American co-workers for Gulf Services Co. of the United Arab Emirates.
The Americans were later beheaded, and videos of the killings were posted on the Internet.
Last week, an Arabic-language news channel broadcast a video showing Bigley caged behind bars.
