http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=1260&storyid=3145245
Sheikh Taj ALdin Al Hilaly has spoken on the telephone with a manhe believes to beDouglas Wood.
A spokesman for the Australian muslim leader, Keysar Trad,said the Sheik received a phone call about 4pm Baghdad time from a man claiming to be one of the hostage-takers. Trad claimed that the Mufti told him an English-speaking man was put on the phone. The Sheik said he then asked: “Hello, who is speaking?” “It’s me, Douglas Wood,” was the man’s reply. Mr Trad said Mr Wood was then taken off the phone and one of the hostage takers promised he would be freed “in the next few days”. Sheik Elhilaly claimed he also arranged for medication, badly needed by Mr Wood, to be handed over to his militant captors by an intermediary. He said the kidnappers told him payment for Mr Wood’s release would not be necessary. “They said they would release him as a favour to the Muslim people of Australia,” Mr Trad said. He said the hostage takers were still working out the logistics of any release and were concerned about the recent botched release of an Italian journalist hostage, who had her car shot up by US soldiers moments after being freed. The militants were unwilling to free two Iraqis thought to have been snatched at the same time as Mr Wood. Mr Trad said the Sheik was also pressing for their release. It is understood the Sheik informed the Australian response team, sent to Baghdad after Mr Wood was taken hostage, about the phone call. Details of the call have also been relayed to Mr Wood’s family waiting for news in Canberra and in the US. Sheikh Elhilaly flew to Iraq last week in an attempt to secure Mr Wood’s release, side-stepping Australian Government efforts to win his freedom. Prime Minister John Howard yesterday expressed cautious optimism about the latest reports. “We have to treat it with a bit of caution. He has reported that to our people in Baghdad,” he said. “That is all that I can tell you. We would all hope that it’s right but we would also be aware in a situation like this there are always people who may represent things