LONDON, Sept 24 (AFP) - The hardline Islamic militants who seized British engineer Kenneth Bigley "may be holding out for something" in return for his release, one of two British Muslim envoys travelling to Baghdad said Friday.
Daud Abdullah and Musharraf Hussain were dispatched by the Muslim Council of Britain to see what can be done to free Bigley, 62, from the grip of the Tawhid wal Jihad (Unity and Holy War) group.
"We are undertaking this mission with the hope that there is still a possibility that Mr Bigley is alive, and that there may be some hope that the hostage-takers are holding out for something," Abdullah told BBC television.
"They have not announced that he`s been killed, and probably they`re holding out for something," he told the "Newsnight" programme shortly before he and Hussain boarded a flight for Baghdad.
"We believe we are well-placed, perhaps better than others, to convey our concerns, and the concerns and grief of his family and the wishes for his release," he said.
Bigley was snatched September 16, along with two American colleagues who have since been executed, by the hardline group, which demanded the release of women held in US-run prisons in Iraq.
The only two women detainees, according to US officials, are scientists being held in connection with deposed president Saddam Hussein`s quest for weapons of mass destruction.
Asked if he and Hussain were prepared to meet the hostage takers, Abdullah replied: "I can`t saw who we`re going to meet, but we`re going to contact some scholars, leaders in the community and we will discuss with them the best way of approaching this matter."
As for his own safety in Iraq, Abdullah said: "This is a war zone, but this is a humanitarian mission, and we know this... We expect that people will recognise this and acknowledge our role."