Kenneth Bigley - finding this so, so distressing

[Tinker]

Am finding myself thinking a lot about what this poor man and his family must be going through. Absolutely hideous terror. Really couldn't sleep last night, kept dwelling on it.

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Yes this is such sad. sad news. My thoughts are with his family and wife. The whole situation,including the recent terrorist attacks, fightens me and makes me fearful of the future. Years ago I went to egypt and the people were so friendly, we were invited to have tea and given small gifts to take away with us. I wonder if we would get the same welcome now.

I think he'd worked in the Middle East for many years ? maybe he thought he knew his way around it the risk was more to 'outsiders'? Don't really think we should blame the poor man for meeting such a hideous end.

From the Independent:

"If fate had not intervened, Mr Bigley would have been spending yesterday tending to his mango plantation and rice paddies in a corner of rural Thailand. He was also looking forward to being a grandfather to his son Craig's baby, due in February. He was to have retired a week ago. After 10 years spent among the desert architecture of places such as Dubai and Qatar, working for Gulf Supplies and Commercial Services, Mr Bigley, who loved the Middle East, was increasingly preoccupied with preparations for a retirement to south-east Asia.

Every day, he called his Thai wife, Sombat, 35, from his home in Baghdad to discuss their plans ­ the new villa near her parents, their life together after nearly a year of separation and the opening of a small shop to support them in their life."

(His other son died in a road accident at 17.)

He was kidnapped 2 weeks before he retired. Poor poor man.

janh, never knew this, it makes me even sadder. I hope where ever he is now, he can find some peace.

Aloha I did not say 'because US funding dried up, the IRA was forced to seek an agreement'. I know that the talks for peace began years before Sept 11th but they were dragging. Sept 11th opened the eyes of many of the IRA backers in the USA to the impact of terrorism which in my mind was a good thing because it dispelled the romantic view of the IRA being freedom fighters.

I hope you were not attributing this comment "As for no sympathy with people working on reconstructin in Iraq," to me as well because I did not say that either. It's a shame that you felt the need to hijack this sober thread with petty point scoring jibes.

well actually Uhu, I agree with Aloha - you implied that it was because of 9/11 that the IRA was ' forced' into the peace process. The Good Friday agreement preceded this and, I may add, Blair was instrumental( to all Blair bashers out there!).It has no relevance to 9/11 at all.What did the Tories ever do? oh yes, Thatcher banned all IRA and Sinn Fein members from even being broadcast on tv and radio! very postive. And you also said ' one good thing to have come out of the 9/11 atrocity is that Americans experienced terrorism first hand'.UM - really ? so Timothy Mc Veigh never existed ? You are not only incorrect but that comment is also , IMO, dangerously insulting. Why is it a ' good thing' to experience terrorism first hand? I can't belive you actually said this!

I find the attitude of some people on this thread that in some sense Kenneth Bigley "asked for it" completely incomprehensible and distressing.

I have a brother who is a journalist and is currently posted in Afghanistan - it was his choice to go there - so if something happens to him, I'd better not come looking for sympathy on here, eh?

Is awfully distressing.I cannot bear to watch news or read papers sometimes.
What we must not forget,however,is that USA and UK are barbaric too.Just because these countries do not behave exactly as others do they are no less murderers,blackmailers than others.
UK and USA have committed terrible atrocities.

Donnie, I think you need to engage brain and use some common sense. I said this "One positive thing to come out of the Sept 11th atrocity is that Americans experienced first hand the impact of terrorism. Now the IRA's main funding source has hopefully dried up". I did not just say that terrorism is a good thing as you implied. If you are going to quote,do so correctly.

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well, it's more than a little disingenuous to suggest ' engaging brain' when your own postings have been misconstrued ( on your opinion) by more than one person - perhaps you could ' engage brain' in your own attempts at communication! If I understand you correctly you think that if a nation is subject to a terrorist attack it will think twice or even refrain from engaging in such activity itself - is that your view? because if that were true America wouldn't be in Iraq or Afghanistan, where many see them ( the US) as the ' terrorist occupying force'. Or perhaps you think that ordinary people will decide to change their ways and embrace peace.That would be lovely but again I don't see it happening in the middle East. The more the Israelis massacre the Palestinians , the more Palestinian suicide bombers there will be.Or maybe chastened countries will stop supplying arms to despots - oh really? show me the proof.

Well said Donnie.

Donnie, you have clearly misinterpreted everything I've said. I would love to enlighten you line by line but I fear I would be wasting my time so I won't bother.

I've just joined this site so please guide me in gently! I've joined as a direct result of Ken Bigley's death and my need to get in touch with other mothers who may be feeling as upset about it as me. I am from the UK. i never believed in the war but right now I can't sort my feelings out following the brutal beheadings of our son and two of your sons. I've unfortunately been brought up knowing terrorism because of the Anglo-Irish troubles - but somehow this latest terrorism is too much to bear. Can anyone help me out with understanding it?

I find it very sad and upsetting about Ken Bigley too, but I also find it extraordinary how shaken a whole country gets over one man's death when photos of slaughtered children are plastered all over the news on a daily basis.

Whether you agree with the war on Iraq or not, real peoples husbands and fathers get sent out to the middle east every day. My own husband works as an engineer for the defence sector. he has worked in saudi for long lengths of time. He made a decision a few years ago not to go to the middle east again until 'he felt' it was more secure. That has not stopped the numerous correspondances off various companies and phonecalls with offer of work there. Daily pay over there is equivalent to monthly pay here for the kind of work.

Please can you tell me why our country is STILL providing these middle eastern countries with weaponary? It is not just our country it IS the US and most of Europe too.

It is just a bit close to home for us, when dh's 'would be' collegues are getting shot on a weekly basis in the middle east. They are normal people, they are not in the forces(not that I am saying people in the forces are not normal too!). I really think they should be stopped or at least severely diswaded from going out there now. I understand kenneth Bigley's situation was different as he lived in Iraq, but tend to agree that it shouldnt have been given so much media coverage and it just publicises the terrorists. His family must be besdie themselves though and my sympathy goes out to them.

As for the war in Iraq. The media will have you beleive what they want you to beleive. It is used as a political agenda by all parties. You DO NOT know what is going on out there. They wont tell you the truth in fear of mass hysteria.

I know what you mean Fairymum.I think the killing of KB was awful, but why does it get so much more coverage than other killings? who knows. One of the bombs planted by the same group that kidnapped him blew up 35 children 2 weeks ago (in Iraq) which to me is horrifying beyond anything, but that received significantly less coverage. Also the kidmapping and murder of 10 Nepalese workers who had actually been recruited in the belief they were going to work in Jordan and not Iraq. They were only cleaners and cooks for Christ' sake but were still murdered.Not much press coverage though.Beats me. Not trying to imply Bigley's death is insignificant but there does seem to be an inability by the tabloid press to let him rest in peace - so what's new?

ps - to TheOffice: the simple answer must be - money. Yes the filthy lucre supercedes morality every time IMO. That's why the world is awash with arms.Selling arms pays well, we are obviously in the wrong jobs!

Fairymum, absolutely agree with you.

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