The hostages in Iraq are the 'forgotten' victims of a cruel barbarism

Then they inflict more distress on the victims' distraught families by refusing to supply a shred of corroboration.

Instead they say they will offer proof of death only if Britain agrees to negotiate.

Jason who has allegedly killed himself in captivity

They complain that Whitehall has refused to take the plight of the hostages seriously. They even claim to regret that a prisoner has died, but hypocritically say the Government is responsible.

Such is the sick self-justification of fanatics who know exactly what impact a kidnapping and unsubstantiated death claims will have on the victims' loved ones and on the wider public.

Exploiting the decent instincts of decent people is how the barbarians behind this crime seek to seize the initiative.

Gordon Brown demands the 'immediate' release of the hostages, but he has said such things before, to no avail.

Other appeals from politicians, officials and churchmen fall on deaf ears.

The criminals just aren't listening. They presumably feel under no pressure. And they seem able to set the agenda whenever they feel like it.

All that inevitably raises questions about how the Foreign Office is handling this nightmare.

From the beginning, there has been a virtual news blackout, which is why the victims feel 'forgotten'.

Officials seem to have persuaded the hostages' families that a blanket of secrecy is needed to protect delicate negotiations. Mr Brown confirms that such efforts are continuing.

But contrast this deafening silence with the furore when BBC journalist Alan Johnston was kidnapped in Gaza last year  -  publicity that contributed hugely to his welcome release after four months.

Yes that was in a different country, with a different gang of kidnappers. But after 14 months of stalemate in Iraq, the hostages are near despair. In this weekend's video, one asked why, in his long captivity, he has received no attention, in what amounts to the cry: why have you abandoned us?

Of course that question takes no account of what Britain may be doing in private. It ignores the fact that any surrender to the kidnappers' demands would invite even more hostage-taking.

Yet the hostages obviously feel forsaken. They see no hope. One may be dead. The news blackout hasn't achieved a thing.

Is there one good reason to believe such secrecy accomplishes anything other than a quieter life at the Foreign Office?

Passing the buck

Day by day, the scale of the SATs fiasco becomes shockingly more apparent. Millions of papers are late or incompetently marked.

Half a million children must resit tests. League tables are at risk of becoming a black joke, since the near collapse of SATs means no proper assessment of schools next year.

And guess what? If the Government sacks ETS, the U.S. firm presiding over this disaster, the company may be in line for millions in compensation.

How could we possibly blunder into a disaster that has left schools, teachers, pupils and parents in such confusion?

The immediate culprit is the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, which not only hired ETS despite its history of incompetence, but seems to have neglected proper safeguards in its £165million contract.

But hang on a second. Wasn't Schools Minister Ed Balls warned of impending problems? Doesn't the buck stop with him? If he had a ounce of honour, he would already have taken responsibility. How typical of today's politicians that instead he blames everyone but himself.