Care suspends work in Iraq

8216;8216;Our staff are not operating there currently, they8217;re certainly not working there now in light of the current situation,8217;8217; Glasser told Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio.

Hassan is under contract to Care Australia under the 12-member Care International umbrella. 8216;8216;We8217;re directly involved in steps to secure her release,8217;8217; Glasser said. 8216;8216;We8217;re doing whatever we can, so it8217;s something we8217;re taking very, very seriously.8217;8217;

Al Jazeera television aired footage of Hassan after her capture, sitting in a room and looking anxious. She was abducted two weeks after kidnappers beheaded Kenneth Bigley, the first British hostage to be killed in Iraq.

Glasser would not elaborate on steps the agency was taking to free Hassan, who has dual British and Iraqi nationality and has lived in Iraq for about 30 years. 8216;8216;It would be unhelpful for us to comment on what steps we are taking,8217;8217; he said, adding he had no idea why she had been kidnapped.

8216;8216;At this point in time we8217;re unaware of any motive for the abduction and as far as we know, Margaret is unharmed at this point,8217;8217; he told Nine Network television.