Cabinet minister takes heat over Loney statement

Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay is taking heat for his announcement this week that Saultite Jim Loney and three other kidnapped peace activists were "very much alive" and about to be safely released.

MacKay conceded yesterday that his statement was not based on any new intelligence.

Rather, the source turns out to be a widely publicized video released by Loney's abductors last month.

"There was a video released that indicated on the 21st of January that they were alive and well. That information, unfortunately, is the last information that we have," MacKay said.

"Sadly, we do not have any more recent information. But that is what leads us to remain optimistic about their eventual release."

The minister's statement was criticised by Liberal MP Dan McTeague, former parliamentary secretary responsible for Canadians abroad.

McTeague described MacKay's statements as premature and improper. The Canadian Press is quoting "two Liberals who once were top foreign-affairs officials" as saying that by publicly discussing the hostage crisis, MacKay has provided Loney's kidnappers with added leverage.

Kathleen Harris of the Ottawa Sun reports this morning that MacKay is denying that he went too far in creating false hope for members of the Loney family.

"I stated what is accurate and what is the position of the government, and that we are hopeful," Harris quotes MacKay as saying.

The image accompanying this article shows Loney in 2004, documenting stories of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.