Kidnapping at hands of insurgents a risk for western workers

Published on Sunday 21 June 2009 23:14

MANY men are lured to Iraq by the promise of extremely lucrative contracts, with £500 per day, tax-free, up for grabs from private security firms.

They are drawn to spending a year or so in places such as Iraq, working as bodyguards or overseeing convoys.

Most of those who take up the offers are ex-soldiers, from the elite regiments of the armed forces, highly trained in looking after themselves and their charges.

They work for private security companies who hold contracts with either Iraqi businesses or government organisations.

The Foreign Office spent more than 148 million on security companies in Iraq in the past three years, it has been reported, and contracts worth more than 42m have been awarded for security work in Afghanistan from the beginning of last year to the end of 2009.

But these are jobs with risks, and many are killed or injured.

Jason Creswell and Jason Swindlehurst lost their lives trying to provide security for another worker in Iraq.

But the deaths of others at the hands of kidnappers have proved that it is not just soldiers and security workers who are at risk.

Kenneth Bigley, 62, an engineer from Liverpool, was killed on 7 October, 2004, in Baghdad and aid worker Margaret Hassan, 59, who was born in Ireland and grew up in London, was murdered later the same year.

Peace activist Norman Kember, 76, survived a kidnap ordeal and was rescued by British forces on 23 March, 2006.

He and three colleagues – American Tom Fox and Canadians James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden – had been taken on 26 November, 2005.

Mr Fox was killed but other captives were rescued after a high-profile campaign to secure their release.

When British special forces raided the building where the hostages were being held, the captors fled.

Last November, Iraqi forces arrested several suspects but Mr Kember refused to testify against them.

On his release, Mr Kember said: "I do not believe that a lasting peace is achieved by armed force, but I pay tribute to their courage and thank those who played a part in my rescue."