British hostage was killed in Iraq

The beheading of Kenneth Bigley in Iraq could fuel public and political anger against Tony Blair over a war that split the country and his party, analysts say.

Bigley, a 62-year-old engineer, was killed by his captors in Iraq, his family said on Friday, ending a three-week hostage crisis that has gripped &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/18/90/363/14022_titanic.html ' target=_blank>Britain.

It was the latest blow to Blair over the war and underscored the prime minister's vulnerability on Iraq, analysts said.

"This obviously brings the war home to the U.K. in a different, much more personal kind of way," said Wyn Grant, politics professor at Warwick University. "It could reinforce some of the damage that is being done (to Blair).", informs Reuters.

According to the Melbourne Herald Sun, British Prime Minister &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/mailbox/22/98/387/10531_Blair.html ' target=_blank>Tony Blair appeared on television to express his "utter revulsion" at the killing and declared that such actions "in Iraq or elsewhere should not prevail".

"I feel utter revulsion at the people that did this, not just at the barbaric nature of the killing, but the way, frankly, they have played with the situation over the last few weeks," Mr Blair said.

"And I feel a strong sense, as I hope others do, that the actions of these people, whether in Iraq or elsewhere, should not prevail over people like Kenneth Bigley, who, after all, only wanted to make Iraq and the world a better place."