TV Airs Video of Missing Briton in Iraq

Source: Associated Press

TV Airs Video of Missing Briton in Iraq

Tuesday December 4, 2007 4:01 PM

By LORI HINNANT

Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD (AP) - Kidnappers of five Britons seized in
May in a raid on a government office demanded that
Britain pull its forces from Iraq in a video broadcast
Tuesday that showed a haggard man sitting under a
sign reading “the Islamic Shiite Resistance in Iraq.”

Northeast of Baghdad, a suicide bomber attacked
a police station, killing at least eight people,
police and hospital officials said.

The purported hostage, bearded and speaking in a
clearly British accent, said the video was made
Nov. 18. A written statement featured on the video,
aired by Al-Arabiya television, accused Britain of
plundering the wealth of Iraq and demanded the
British troops leave within 10 days. It did not say
what would happen if the deadline was not met nor
when the countdown begins.

-snip-

None of the kidnappers appeared on the video.
Instead, a written statement said the five Britons
had “acknowledged and confessed and detailed the
agenda with which they came to steal our wealth
under false pretense of being advisers to the
Finance Ministry.”

-snip-

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7126006,00.html

---

Source: Reuters

Iraq group holding Britons demands UK withdrawal-TV
04 Dec 2007 15:13:13 GMT

(Adds quotes, Arabiya comment, details, background)

By Firouz Sedarat

DUBAI, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Kidnappers holding five
Britons seized in Iraq in May threatened to kill
one hostage in 10 days as a "first warning" unless
Britain withdraws from Iraq, in a video aired by Al
Arabiya television on Tuesday.

The video, dated Nov. 18, showed a hostage sitting
on the floor flanked my masked gunmen pointing
assault rifles at him.

A statement said that if Britain failed to leave
Iraq within 10 days after it was broadcast, "this
hostage will be killed as a first warning, which
would be followed with details that you would
not want to know".

-snip-

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L0487767.htm