A body handed over to the British Embassy in Baghdad yesterday is that of Alec MacLachlan, the Prime Minister has confirmed, 3 September 2009.

Gordon Brown said he was announcing with the “deepest regret” that the body of the security guard had been identified.

Mr MacLachlan was one of five men taken hostage in the Iraqi capital in 2007. The bodies of two of the men were returned in June.

The Prime Minister said: “My thoughts and I believe the thoughts of the whole country are with the family at this time of great grief. No family should have to endure what they have gone through, the loss through the hostage taking, then the period of silence and not knowing what is happening and now to find that their loved one is lost.”

He called on the hostage takers to give the British authorities information about the other two men, Alan McMenemy and Peter Moore. It is believed that Mr Moore is still alive.

The Prime Minister added: “We will pursue these hostage takers. There is no justification for what they have done and we are working with the Iraqi Government at every point to ensure that we get information to the relatives, we get the return of the others and at the same time we bring the hostage takers to justice. That is what every family should expect of us and that is what we are going to do.”

 

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British Embassy in Iraq

Notes for Editors

Number 10 website

The Foreign Secretary made a statement on the Iraq hostages on 2 September 2009

The Foreign Secretary also made a statement on the Iraq hostages on 30 July 2009

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