Report: British Hostage In Iraq Kills Self

A Shiite Militia That Kidnapped 5 Britons Over A Year Ago Claims One Committed Suicide, A British Paper Reports

(AP)  A Shiite militia that has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of five Britons in Iraq more than a year ago said one of the hostages committed suicide, a British newspaper reported.

The Sunday Times of London published what it said was a statement in a video it obtained from the group through an intermediary in Iraq.

The video, available on the Times Web site late Saturday night, shows an Arabic-language statement claiming that one of the hostages - identified only a Jason - killed himself on May 25. A photograph, apparently of Jason, is affixed to the top left corner of the statement.

The newspaper said the statement blamed the British government for ignoring statements that the kidnappers and the captives have made. In the past, the militia has demanded that that all British forces be withdrawn from Iraq and that Iraqis held by U.S.-led forces be freed.

"This procrastination and foot-dragging and lack of seriousness on the part of the British government has prolonged their psychological deterioration, pushing one of them, Jason, to commit suicide on 25/5/2008," the Times quoted the statement as saying.

It was not immediately clear which hostage the group was referring to.

Five men - information technology consultant Peter Moore and four guards - were kidnapped from the Iraqi Finance Ministry compound in Baghdad in a brazen raid in May 29, 2007. Two of the guards are called Jason and the others are named Alan and Alec. Their surnames have been withheld at their families' request.

In December, a man identified as Jason was featured in a hostage video aired on Al-Arabiya television. Looking haggard and occasionally glancing down as if to read a piece of paper, Jason said he and his fellow captives felt they had been forgotten.

Like the video carried by The Sunday Times, the Al-Arabiya broadcast showed a statement and identified the men's captors as the Shiite Islamic Resistance in Iraq.

The British government said Saturday night that it could not confirm the veracity of the latest video or verify its claims.

But British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who had just left Iraq after meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Saturday, called The Sunday Times report a "very distressing development" said that he was taking it seriously.

"I raised the case of these men with PM Maliki," Brown said in a statement. "We both share a desire to see them returned safely to their families. I call on those holding the hostages to release them immediately and unconditionally."

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband called hostage-taking "disgusting" and deplored the "deep distress and concern" he said it would cause to the families of the five men.

The video carried by The Sunday Times shows another hostage appealing for the British government to hasten the men's release.

"Physically, I'm not doing well," the hostage says. "Psychologically, I'm doing a lot worse. I want to see my family again."

[xxunknown]

This is a war that was UNPROVOKED!
Posted by Agnim
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Agreed.

[xxunknown]

Who cares how many people have been killed?Other then americans I could care less.The more you take out now less will have to be takin out later.

Posted by Michtop
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Are you kidding me? And also...I think you meant you COULDNT care less. Duh.

[tootall10142]

I would hate to have to grow up and tell people that my grandfather was george bush.This will no doubt cause the child to have a inferiorarty complex.This is something that cant be cured with all the money papa left him.the american people dont forgive that easily.

[whiskyrocker]

Bad area

[pvperson]

onlythereal, "I dont believe anything they say, give me a break.'', but you believe everything Bush says, right?
"They probably went a little too far with the torture tactics", wait, I must have misunderstood. Was he in Guantanamo held by americans?

[wogerwabbit]

Who cares how many people have been killed?Other then americans I could care less.The more you take out now less will have to be takin out later.


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Posted by Michtop at 01:47 PM

and you have experience in this and aren''t talking out your a$$, right? You talk the talk AND walk the walk... right? I''m assuming you''re in uniform and know war and death firsthand. Correct me if I''m wrong, pinhead.

[feelfree4u]

One less mercenary.

[agnim]

Much ado about nothing, considering the number of INNOCENT Iraqis that were killed by the brits?

How many INNOCENT are being held and tortured by the brits and at Guantanamo?

And don''t forget, torture is supposed to be ''OK''!

There is always a price to pay for invading others space to rob, rape, murder and occupy and to ''shock and awe''.

This is a war that was UNPROVOKED!

It''s as if the wild bush, blair and brown wanted best Madman Hussein at slaughtering humans.

Where are the good people of America to step forward and end the UNPROVOKED Iraq war now?
All these killings, and for what? To satisfy the mania of a wild bush and the rest of the gang of warmongers.

[michtop]

Who cares how many people have been killed?Other then americans I could care less.The more you take out now less will have to be takin out later.

[bluestardad]

GO FIGURE

SHOT HIMSELF IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD!

[shoebox119]

What goes around comes around. We have Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp illegal fiasco and the former Abu Ghraib disgrace and whoever holds American or British soldiers will feel more than justified in inflicting torture and other kinds of mistreatment.

The Coalition of the Willing has succeeded in lowering itself to the level of those they claim are the "terrorists."

Congratulations, Bush administration for 7+ years of your unilateral "go at it alone" approach on foreign affairs.

[tootall10142]

i will believe it when they produce a body.THE HARDEST ENEMY TO DEFEAT IS ONE WHO FINDS GLORY IN DEATH.REMEMBER THE KAMIKAZE A WEAPON THAT TO THIS DAT STILL PROVES TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE. WEVE MANAGED TO HANDLE EVERYTHING THEY THROW AT US EXCEPT THE SUICIDR BOMBER.

[michtop]

I say end the war in Iraq and I dont mean run liberals.Carpet bomb the whole country into submission.Dont worry about women,children or the so called innocents,pull the media out of the country and then start the bombing.If we fought wars like we use to this war would be over.

[babooph]

The mercenaries there seem to end up like the Gitmo bunch.

[ioweign]

yes, they are all savages, and i can''''t imagine why anyone would want for any of them to be brought over here. but they arrive here every day, and plot against us on our own soil. go figure.

Posted by tech77usa at 12:18 AM : Jul 20, 2008

Have you reported them ?

[whiskyrocker]

If your a contractor and go into Iraq you do so at your own risk. These people are all savages.