Baghdad
Margaret Hassan, the head of CARE International in Iraq, was murdered this week by hostage takers. Hassan, 59, held dual British and Iraqi citizenship and had lived in Iraq for the past 30 years doing charity work. An unknown group kidnapped her last month and said it would turn her over to an al Qaida–linked group if the British did not pull all troops out of Iraq. She then appeared on several videos aired by Al-Jazeera, pleading for her life and urging a British pullout. The last video, released this week, apparently showed her blindfolded, being shot in the head. In a statement, CARE said Hassan had devoted her life to helping Iraqis. “Everyone who met her was touched by her personality and compassion,” the group said.
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