The Indiana wife of a U.S. businessman kidnapped a year ago in Iraq begged his abductors Tuesday to get in touch with her. Liliana Ake of LaPorte, Ind., told CNN that she avoided publicity for months because she thought that would help speed her husband's release. But after a year and after watching the international campaign to free Jill Carroll, the freelance reporter who spent three months in captivity, she decided to speak out. Jeffrey Ake was kidnapped on April 11, 2005, from a water bottling plant. "He was in Iraq making certain that the Iraqi people have fresh, good water to drink," his wife said. A video of Jeffrey Ake was broadcast two days after his abduction. His wife says she last heard from the kidnappers on May 1. "When you kidnapped Jeff, you contacted me at my residence and we discussed matters of importance to us both," Liliana Ake said in a plea to the kidnappers. "My telephone number remains the same and my willingness to continue this dialogue remains as strong as it was before." © Copyright 2006 by United Press International

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