Neighbours remember kidnapped American & British hostages for their generosity

With news of two American hostages, Eugene Armstrong and Jack Hensley being beheaded, and British hostage, Kenneth Bigley, pleading for his life, the Baghdad neighbours of the three have expressed their saddeness at the kidnappings and killings.

Although neighbours did not have many chances to speak to the men, since they kept a low-profile, they were well known for their generosity in allowing over a dozen neighbours to use their generator for electricity without charge. In a city where power outages were frequent, many neighbours were grateful for their kind foreign neighbours, especially during the hot summer months when the generator would run both refrigerators and air conditioners.

"I heard they are kind people," said Abdul Jabbar Kadhim, 65. "This summer, the heat is unbearable and they are giving us electricity without anything in return."

"We would just say, 'Hi.' They were kind and minded their own business," said Kadhim's wife, Khawla Khalil.

She asked how to pay for the electricity, "He said that in exchange for the electricity they want us to just pray for them.”

Since their kidnappings, however, the generator has been mostly silent.