Iraq hostage family 'confident' he is alive
Updated on 18 December 2009
The family of British hostage Peter Moore have told Channel 4 News they are "confident" he is still alive, two years and seven months since he was kidnapped in Iraq.
Mr Moore, aged 36, was in a group of five British men snatched by gunmen outside a government building in Baghdad in May 2007. He was installing asset tracing software at the Finance Ministry when he was kidnapped.
Jason Creswell, Alec Maclachlan and Jason Swindlehurst were later killed and their bodies returned home. Alan McMenemy is feared dead, leaving Peter Moore, in all probability, the last surviving member of the five hostages.
The IT consultant from Lincoln had been working for BearingPoint, an American management consultancy. Another British BearingPoint contractor was working alongside peter Moore on the day of the kidnapping, but escaped capture after hiding in the building.
It is now 934 days since he was kidnapped. Now, Mr Moore's relatives are facing their third Christmas without him.
His step-parents, Pauline and Fran Sweeney, have told Channel 4 News they believe he is still alive.
"We have to believe that. It's been a long time," Fran said.
Pauline added: "We have to cling onto that. It's been such a long time that it would be absolutely devastating if he didn't come home now."
The couple have issued a new plea for Peter's captors to release him in time for Christmas.
Pauline also told home affairs correspondent Andy Davies: "It's not a time for celebration when he's not with us. For Jason, Jason and Alec's families it is a time for mourning. Enough is enough - please just send them home."
"There hasn't been a lot of news for a while. We really don't know a lot more. We just pray for a fast conclusion."
"Every day it just drags on and on. We would just love to see him home for Christmas," said Fran.
He added: "There's a lot of information we can't get hold of. It does make it very difficult. We have a faith everyone's doing what they need to do to get the release of the two guys."
Pauline described the last three years: "It's just been a total rollercoaster of emotions. Some days you have better days, I won't say good days. Some days you have really bad days. Times of celebrations - birthdays, Christmas - times when we would have all been together as a family, have been very difficult.
"Thank God we've had the other familes to get through it with us. They're the only ones that understand what we're going through."
Tony Blair, who was still prime minister when the men were taken, promised the British government would do everything possible to help free the men. Since then Foreign Secretary David Miliband has insisted the hostages have not been forgotten.
The Foreign Office has today told Channel 4 News no effort is being spared and that they remain in close contact with those in Iraq who may be able to help.
