NZ officer joins efforts to free Gaza hostages

ID cards for the kidnapped men. Picture / Reuters

A senior police officer left this morning to join the New Zealand team working for the release of Olaf Wiig and Steve Centanni in Gaza, Prime Minister Helen Clark said today.

New Zealand officials in the region were continuing their "intense consultation" with Palestinian authorities and others, Miss Clark said, after being briefed on the kidnap situation.

In her first comment since reports that cameraman Wiig and his Fox News colleague had been shown in a videotape , Miss Clark welcomed the news that they were alive.

"This is the first information we have had about the two men since they were kidnapped 10 days ago," she said in a statement.

"I am pleased that they appear to be well and that they say they are being treated reasonably. Nevertheless, I remain deeply concerned for their safety."

Miss Clark said the New Zealand team was receiving good co-operation from Palestinian authorities.

"It was decided yesterday to strengthen the consular team on the ground in Israel and Gaza by sending a senior New Zealand police officer to the region," she said.

"He departed this morning. The officer, Inspector Rob Abbott, will work alongside the two Foreign Affairs staff, providing technical expertise and assisting in liaison with local law enforcement officers."

Miss Clark said Mr Abbott's appointment was not a response to the video of Wiig and Centanni.

"The decision had been made to send him before that," she said.

"Clearly this is not following the pattern of past Gaza kidnappings. We're into a situation that's at least medium-term, so we're having to think now about the kind of support and advice we can wrap around the Ministry of Foreign Affairs people.

"He won't be involved in negotiations with anybody but helping our diplomats work out how to proceed."

Miss Clark has not spoken to Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas since last week but said the authority remained extremely helpful.

"We've been very, very well supported by them and working with them remains our best hope of securing the release of these two men," she said.

"The Palestinian Authority doesn't like this happening in its territory, it wants to resolve it, and it will give us whatever help it can."

Miss Clark said New Zealand wouldn't be make any efforts to encourage any action over the kidnappers' demands.

"The New Zealand Government doesn't negotiate over such demands, so we are working with the responsible authority in Gaza to secure release and they have their security apparatus fully on this case," she said.

"We have to remain optimistic. The video sighting of them was encouraging, but there's still a way to go."

Wiig's wife Anita McNaught said she was delighted to know the men were alive.

Miss Clark said Foreign Affairs and the police were keeping in close contact with Ms McNaught and the Wiig family.

The kidnappers, from a previously unknown group calling itself the Holy Jihad Brigade, are asking for the release of all Muslim prisoners in US custody within 72 hours.

It appears unlikely that this demand will be met.

Peter Rider, the New Zealand official leading efforts to secure the release of the two men, said he understood the US had said it did not negotiate with militant groups or terrorists, and had called "very firmly" for their release.

Wiig's family said in a statement earlier today they were relived to have it confirmed that the men were alive.

They said they knew nothing about the Holy Jihad Brigade and would continue working with Palestinian authorities to work out who they were and identify who was responsible for the kidnapping.

Previous kidnappings - there have been at least seven involving foreigners since August 2005, when Israeli troops withdrew from Gaza after 38 years of occupation -- have usually ended after a few hours, or at most a few days, of captivity.

- NZPA