HE deadline set by the Iraqi captors of Australian man Douglas Wood has passed, with no word on his fate. Mr Wood's family held a vigil in Canberra overnight as the deadline for Australia to pull its troops out of Iraq slipped by at 5am this morning. A spokesman for Mr Wood's brother Malcolm today said the family had sat up for much of the night and was today awaiting any news from the group calling itself the Shura Council of the Mujahideen of Iraq. "Last night there was a vigil - not that they sat up all night, but there was that sort of feeling in the air," the spokesman said. "And it's now wait and see." In footage broadcast on Saturday, the 63-year-old engineer was shown shaven, beaten and pleading for Government help as he relayed his captors' demands for Ausralia's troop withdrawal. Australia was given 72 hours until 5am (AEST) today to begin complying. The nation's most prominent Muslim cleric will land in Iraq today carrying a promise of a "generous donation" from the family of hostage Douglas Wood, in a last-ditch bid to convince insurgents to release the Australian engineer. Egyptian-born Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali left Sydney on his mercy dash yesterday confident of pushing back the 72-hour execution ultimatum. But he will arrive in Baghdad after the overnight deadline laid down by Mr Wood's captors, the Shura Council of the Mujahedeen of Iraq, expires. Sheik Hilali, the Mufti of Australia, is hoping for a two-day extension of a 72-hour deadline.
Mr Wood's captors called on Australia on Saturday to withdraw its troops from Iraq, with the clear inference that Mr Wood would be put to death this morning if the demand were not met. The Howard Government has made it clear it will not accede to the demand. Mr Wood's brother Malcolm, who met Sheik Hilali on the weekend, said yesterday that the family remained "profoundly concerned for him" and "in distress and deep sorrow".