An Australian hostage rescued from insurgents in Baghdad last week arrived back home early on Monday.
At his first media conference since his release, Douglas Wood told reporters he never gave up hope of being freed during his 47-day ordeal, although he feared his captors would murder him.
"I love my family, and I knew that they would be doing as much as they could to get me out anyway. I am overwhelmed having coming out understanding the support, A- of the family and -B of the federal people here and you all. It's very humbling."
The 64-year-old engineer was abducted eight weeks ago in Bagdad. He was held for ransom by insurgents demanding that the Autralian government withdraw its 1,400 troops from Iraq.
But the government refused the kidnappers' demands.
Wood said he was still considering whether to return to Iraq, where he had been working for about a year before he was kidnapped.
He added that he still supports US and Australian policies in Iraq - particularly efforts to train Iraqi security forces.
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