A new videotape showing British-Iraqi hostage Margaret Hassan pleading for Tony Blair to withdraw troops from Iraq, was aired Wednesday night by Al Jazeera TV.
She also asked for the release of all Iraqi female detainees and for her organization, CARE International, to close its offices. "Please don't bring the soldiers to Baghdad. Please, on top of that, please release the women prisoners from prisons."
Meanwhile, a senior Iraqi diplomat on Wednesday was shot dead while heading home from Iraq's foreign ministry, according to media reports. Qussay Mehdi Saleh was attacked by four armed men who tried to abduct him.
The former Iraq's ambassador to the United Arab Emirates was shot when he fought back, Deputy Foreign Minister Labeed Abbawi said.
The Islamic Army in Iraq claimed credit for this attack, al-Jazeera reported.
