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A British aid worker from Perth, Scone, held by IS killers in Syria has been named as David Haines.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are aware of a video which purports to be the murder of a US national and includes a threat to another hostage. We are urgently working to verify the authenticity of the video.”
The father of two attended Perth Academy and then went on to have a 12 year career in the Army. Foreign Office yesterday requested that the hostage should not be named, however, major publications across the world have since named the man, from Perth.
According to The Times, the Foreign Office feared that naming him could increase his profile, and therefore, in the eyes of his captors, his potential ransom value. But the family concluded that since his name had already been published around the world, it would inevitably appear in the British media.
A LinkedIn profile for David Haines identifies him as the consultant director at the Italian-Croatian company Astraea, a manufacturing business. Previously, he worked for a peace force in the South Sudan and as a head of a mission in Libya for Handicap International, an aid organization for refugees.
The British aid worker was snatched from a Syrian refugee camp in March last year, and his 17-year-old daughter has spoken of him being her ‘hero’ and wanting him ‘home for good’.
IS Killers have issued a threat claiming they will kill Haines if America don’t comply with their requests. Speaking at the Nato conference in Wales, the Prime Minister said: “Countries that have allowed ransoms to be paid, that has ended up with terrorist groups, including this terrorist group, having tens of millions of dollars that they can spend on kidnapping other hostages, on preparing terrorist plots.”
IS Killer who is thought to be British said: “We take this opportunity to warn those governments that enter this evil alliance of America against the Islamic State to back off and leave our people alone.”
A spokesperson from the Scottish Government said: “The safety of the hostage and the welfare of the family in this case are paramount. The Scottish Government is continuing to liaise closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other agencies.”
People of Perth are praying for Haines safe return and many people are organising a candle remembrance hour but it’s yet to be confirmed.
Perth Gazette has decided to publish the name since the amount of data is appearing on the internet about the hostage and would have no purpose if the name was withheld.
