U.S. condemns murder of aid worker in Iraq

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- The White House Wednesday condemned the apparent killing in Iraq of aid worker Margaret Hassan by terrorists.

"The international community joins together in condemning that barbaric act in the strongest possible terms," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "It showed the true nature of the terrorists. They have no regard for innocent civilian life."

Hassan was born in Ireland and held Irish, British and Iraqi citizenship. She was head of CARE International in Iraq and had lived in the country for more than 30 years following her marriage to an Iraqi engineer.

She was kidnapped Oct. 19 in Baghdad while being driven to work.

U.S. Marines fighting in Fallujah this week found the body of a badly mutilated woman believed to be a Westerner. A videotape obtained by the al-Jazeera television network showed a blindfolded woman, believed to be Hassan, being shot in her head by a masked terrorist.

The identity of the kidnappers was not determined. In demands after Hassan was taken hostage, they demanded the removal of British troops from Iraq and the release of all female prisoners in the country as the price for her safe return.