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Arshad Butt / AP
Pakistani security officials stand next to covered body of British Red Cross worker Khalil Rasjed Dale at the site in Quetta, Pakistan on Sunday, April 29, 2012.
The International Committee of the Red Cross condemned the murder of its staff member, Khalil Rasjed Dale, and asked Pakistani media not to broadcast a video of his execution.
"We are devastated," ICRC Director-General Yves Daccord said in a statement. "Khalil was a trusted and very experienced Red Cross staff member who significantly contributed to the humanitarian cause."
Dale's beheaded body was found by the roadside on Sunday in the southwestern Pakistan city of Quetta, police and Red Cross officials said. Dale, 60, who was a British doctor, was abducted by suspected militants on Jan. 5 while on his way home from work.
Red Cross via Reuters
Khalil Rasjed Dale is seen in this undated handout photo. The beheaded body of a kidnapped British doctor working for the International Committee of the Red Cross was found by the roadside on Sunday in the southwestern Pakistan city of Quetta, police and Red Cross officials said.
Police discovered Dale wrapped in plastic near a western bypass road in the capital of southwestern Baluchistan province where Baluch separatist militants are fighting a protracted insurgency for more autonomy.
His name was written on the white plastic bag with black marker.
"A sharp knife was used to sever his head from the body," said Safdar Hussain, the first doctor to examine the body. "He was killed about 12 hours ago."
According to The Guardian, a note left with the body read: "This is the body of Khalil who we have slaughtered for not paying a ransom." The note went on to say a video of the execution would also be released.
The newspaper reported that the Red Cross's policy is not to pay ransoms as part of "a consistent and systematic approach that keeps people safe wherever they are."
"We did everything possible to try to get Khalil out and we are very sad that our efforts failed," ICRC's spokesman Sean Maguire told the BBC.
Dale had worked for the ICRC and the British Red Cross in Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq before coming to Pakistan. He had been managing a health program for Baluchistan for almost a year when he was abducted, the ICRC statement said.
At least four foreigners are currently being held in Pakistan, The Guardian wrote.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
One more reason to get all our people out of that flea bitten country of barbaric savages and leave them to themselves, including no money and no aid! Westerners attempting help these people just keep getting stabbed in the back, both figuratively and literally. Let them suck up to their good buddies and neighbors the Chinese and let them foot the bills for a while. Hopefully the British will follow suit and pull their people out if we did.
The Taliban proudly claimed responsibility for this brutal murder, which speaks volumes about their 'religious' principles.
please excuse me but......it's not the islamic religion true muslims do not believe in killing in the name of allah but rather believe in love faith kindness and respect....it sickens me in the depths of my soul the thought of this innocent dr. as a sister and brother to the red cross my heart and prayers goes out to the family.....again it is not the religious principles of any religion but rather a horrible act done by a bunch of heartless mean group of devils!!! who in reality have no conscience or true moral values regardless of religion any religion after all... is suppose to set examples again love faith kindness respect of one another and helping those who are less fortunate than us .......something we all must really think about one innocent wonderful life only offering to help people in need... rip my brother
Little Bird,
It is the religious principle of Islam's followers to kill non believers. How many atrocities are these savages going to commit before you realise that it all has a single focal point in Islam? The people in Pakistan are cheering this savage and brutal murder by these filthy scum (and watching the cowardly murder, as is the pastime of Pakistanis and Islamists). You probably do not even understand what these people would do if they got their hands on you, I or any other westerner. All the love and peace messages will not change that and will only encourage the extremists to go out and murder even more.
Pakis are same whether they are in their Pakistan or US, Britain or any nation.
Just kick out each and every Paki from a non-Muslim nation and stop the travels to and from Pakistan.
The chorus of "true muslims" condemning this barbaric act is absolutely deafening....NOT!
im all for turning that country into glass and doing the world a favor.
johngis: I agree with you 200 percent.
Add Saudi Arabia too for world peace!
80 percent of world problems (including economic mess due to Saudi & co oil price manipulations) will be over.
Where is the outrage from the Gov of Pakistan for this horrid act? Why are the people not rioting in the streets? Cut all aid. And if the Pakistan military will not get rid of the Afghan Taliban in their country feel free to bomb the $&&* out of the Haquani (sp?) militants in Pakistan or anywhere else in the area.
Very good questions since Dr. Dale's work helped those in medical need. It is terrible and cowardly acts such as this that will make professionals who truly care for those in need think twice about a career or even devoting a year or more to this very worthy cause.
There is no outrage, because the people of Pakistan support this cowardly murder. As we speak, they are watching it on dvd as a form of entertainment. All the Pakistanis bring in the kids, uncles, grandparents and etc. to watch great Islamic fun..kind of like a family picnic..Pakistani style.
Pakis have backstabbed big time in Afghanistan.
Taking all sorts of help and acting as an ally, Pakis have diverted part of aids (economic and military) to Islamic militants fighting NATO forces.
They are responsible for half of NATO forces deaths.
Just carpet bomb all the Paki militant areas especially the most dangerous Haqqani militants one.
RIP good sir, you where only doing right in a place ravaged by wrong doers. May god be with you and your family. I hope the heartless scum who did this is captured and executed in the most vile manner the the British or US government has to offer, maybe we get lucky and the people of Pakistan find him before we do. Terrible shame that a place that needs so much help bites the hand that feeds it more often than eating the food presented in front of it.
These murderers will never face justice while continuing to repeat this butchery over and over again. The Pakistani public supports this fully and would vigorously protest any of their arrests. Besides, even if they do get caught, they will just get released with a slap on the wrist.
Let's send our obsolete weapons to these sub-humans and let them kill each other. Of course only after every one of our people have left this hell-hole. Stop pretending that we are trying to help them. Anything we do there, makes matters worse. Just put it out of your mind!
"Dale had worked for the ICRC and the British Red Cross in Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq before coming to Pakistan"
Pakistan has proved to be worst of basket case nations.
All aids groups should keep away from Pakistan.
Also the US, Britain and other allies, who are keeping Pakistan alive, should dump it.
We'd better start thinking about how this country is ours,and not the governments.You know,the government,by,for ,and of the people?Both sides will keep bringing immigrants here,like these people