Wood not going back to Iraq says his family

MELBOURNE - Freed hostage Douglas Wood stunned his family, and others, when he declared on his return to Australia that he may return to Iraq.

Today, one day later, the engineer's family appeared to have snuffed out any plan he had to return to the country where insurgents kidnapped and threatened to execute him.

A family spokesman issued a statement this morning following Mr Wood's comments at a press conference yesterday, when he said he might one day go back to Iraq to pursue business opportunities.

"Given the advice of his family and on further consideration, Douglas Wood will not, under any circumstances, return to Iraq," the spokesman said today.

He said Mr Wood, who was held hostage for 47 days before being rescued, had "lost commercial opportunities during his incarceration".

But the 63-year-old would not go back to pursue lucrative contract work associated with rebuilding efforts in Baghdad.

Vernon Wood also said his older brother would not return to Iraq.

It was Vernon, and Mr Wood's other brother Malcolm, who took on leading roles in the campaign to secure his freedom.

"Douglas at the first instance did say he would consider going back to Iraq, but later on he said, in deference to his family and other people and the efforts the Australian government had gone to, it would be irresponsible for him to go back," Vernon Wood told Southern Cross radio.

"... And he definitely won't be going back."

A Muslim community spokesman said yesterday Mr Wood could be killed if he returned to Iraq, after calling his captors "arseholes".

The federal government said while Mr Wood was a free man, it too would discourage him from going back.

Mr Wood was freed last week in a raid by Iraqi forces, backed by US troops.

His captors' initial demand was for the Australian government, and other western countries, to withdraw their troops from Iraq.

Mr Wood said at the start of yesterday's press conference, soon after he stepped off a flight from Dubai, that his family had begun lobbying him not to return to Iraq.

"One would be more prudent, more security conscious, the second time," Mr Wood said.

- AAP