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'Iraq hostage Briton' video aired Iraq 'hostage Briton' video aired
(about 1 hour later)
An Arabic TV channel has aired a video claiming to show one of five Britons captured in Iraq eight months ago.An Arabic TV channel has aired a video claiming to show one of five Britons captured in Iraq eight months ago.
The footage showed a man making an appeal to Prime Minister Gordon Brown to help secure the hostages' freedom.The footage showed a man making an appeal to Prime Minister Gordon Brown to help secure the hostages' freedom.
"My name is Peter Moore, I have been held here for nearly eight months now," the man in the video footage said. "My name is Peter Moore, I have been held here for nearly eight months now," the man said in English.
The man asked Mr Brown to free nine Iraqis in exchange for the Britons' release. The Foreign Office has condemned the release of the video. He asks Mr Brown to free nine Iraqis in exchange for the release of the Britons seized in May 2007. The Foreign Office has condemned the release of the video.
The video shows the man speaking in English with an Arabic translation played over the top.The video shows the man speaking in English with an Arabic translation played over the top.
The man appealed for the freedom of the Iraqis prisoners - being held by the coalition authorities - in exchange for the Britons who were seized in May 2007. 'Simple exchange'
"All I want is to leave this place. I tell Gordon Brown the matter is simple: release their prisoners so we can go. The man appealed for the freedom of the Iraqis prisoners - being held by the coalition authorities.
We condemn the release of videos such as this, which are greatly distressing to the families of those involved FCO statement
"All I want is to leave this place. I tell Gordon Brown the matter is simple: release their prisoners so we can go," he said.
The man, who is wearing a black and white tracksuit, says on the tape that he is from Lincoln and appeals to the British government to help secure group's freedom.
"It's as simple as that. It's a simple exchange of people. That is all they want - their people and we can go home," the man said."It's as simple as that. It's a simple exchange of people. That is all they want - their people and we can go home," the man said.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) criticised the footage and said: "We condemn the release of videos such as this, which are greatly distressing to the families of those involved. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) criticised the footage and said: "We condemn the release of videos such as this, which are greatly distressing to the families of those involved. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.
"We urge those holding the group to release them immediately. We are in close contact with the Iraqi authorities and doing everything we can to try and secure a swift release.""We urge those holding the group to release them immediately. We are in close contact with the Iraqi authorities and doing everything we can to try and secure a swift release."
The FCO said it wanted anyone who could influence the situation to do what they could to ensure the "safety and release of the hostages".The FCO said it wanted anyone who could influence the situation to do what they could to ensure the "safety and release of the hostages".
"We again call directly on those holding these men to release them.""We again call directly on those holding these men to release them."
'Shrunken' demands
The five men - a computer expert and four bodyguards - were seized from Baghdad's Finance Ministry by gunmen wearing police uniforms, 29 May 2007, without a shot being fired.
The BBC's Jim Muir, in Baghdad, said little was known about the hostage-takers who call themselves the Islamic Shia Resistance in Iraq and they had not been heard of before.
He said they could be connected to the Mehdi Army militia or have possible links with Iran.
The video has not yet been authenticated but Jim Muir said there was "little to doubt the voracity of it".
This is the second video to have been released since the men were captured.
The first tape, in December 2007, showed a different hostage; he was flanked by gunmen.
Jim Muir said this latest video seemed to show that the demands of their captors had "shrunk".