Linda Norgrove: parents may have vetoed rescue bid

John Norgrove, father of 26-year-old Linda Norgrove, who was killed by a grenade thrown by a US soldier from a special forces squad last October, said the first he and his wife Lorna knew of the rescue bid was when it failed.

However, Mr Norgrove, from Lewis, in the Western Isles, said that if his daughter had been an American hostage it was likely her family would have been asked for their views before any decision to launch a rescue mission.

"Americans have a different system," he said.

"I think in America, my understanding is the family have to give their permission for a rescue attempt to be mounted. In the UK, the government take that decision."

Ms Norgrove, who was employed by the US aid group Development Alternatives Inc, was seized during an ambush in the Dewagal valley in the Kunar province on 26 September.

Speaking in a radio interview, Mr Norgrove described what he had since learned about the build-up to the rescue.

He said that up to 1,000 American and Afghan troops had been mobilised in the area in the hours following his daughter's kidnap and that a cordon had been put around the entire valley.

"It would have been a huge climbdown for them to stand down all those troops, admit that they had failed and then pay a ransom and it would have been a tremendous public relations success for the kidnappers for that to happen," he said.

The family had initially been told Linda had been killed by a suicide bomb, but were told two days later she had most likely died as a result of a grenade thrown by a US soldier.

Asked what his opinion would have been if he had been asked for his view on whether to give the "green light" for a rescue attempt to free his daughter, Mr Norgrove said: "It's a difficult question to answer just now.

"I think what we would have done would be to ask for more information.

"I think on the information that we had at the time, it would be difficult to say yes or no."

He added: "It's always helpful I think to try and look at it from other people's perspective, and from the government's perspective, they're trying to stop a rash of kidnappings so the very worst thing they can do is to pay ransom to kidnappers to encourage more."

Mr Norgrove stressed that he and his wife were not apportioning blame for Linda's death.

"We don't hold anyone responsible really. I don't think it's a question of responsibility.Nobody deliberately intended to kill Linda," he said.

"It was brave soldiers going in there in very difficult circumstances trying to mount a rescue and unfortunately it went wrong.

"There's no blame involved here. It's just two groups of men intent on killing each other and Linda is in the middle of it."