Australia Won't Offer Money for Release of CARE Chief

[DuctapeFatwa]

The Australian government won't offer money to terrorists in Iraq who kidnapped Margaret Hassan, country director of the CARE International aid organization, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.

CARE suspended its operations in Iraq yesterday after Hassan, who has dual Iraqi and British nationality, was kidnapped. Former Australian Governor General William Deane has set up a group of negotiators at CARE Australia in Melbourne, the humanitarian organization said in a statement.

``We still don't know who has taken her hostage,'' Downer told Radio 3AW in Melbourne. ``The Australian government would never offer money for her release.''

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