Britain and Iraq condemn hostage footage
Updated on 27 February 2008
Both Britain and Iraq have condemned the "parading" of a British hostage and have pledged to work together for an early release, after talks between Gordon Brown and his Iraqi counterpart.
Mr Brown spoke with Nouri al Maliki about the footage, broadcast by Dubai-based Al-Arabiya TV, which showed one of five Britons who has been held since being kidnapped in Baghdad in May last year.
The bearded hostage said: "My name is Peter Moore, I have been held here for nearly eight months now."
He went on to ask Mr Brown to release nine Iraqis in exchange for their freedom.
A spokesman for Downing Street said: "The Prime Minister has been in close contact with Prime Minister Maliki on this issue and discussed it again with him over the phone this morning.
"Both leaders deplored the taking and public parading of hostages and agreed to continue their close cooperation to secure their early release."
The hostages were seized by about 40 gunmen at the Iraqi Finance Ministry.
Four of the hostages were working for Canadian firm GardaWorld as security guards while the fifth man is a computer consultant for an American management consultancy.
And back in Britain the Government is considering whether to appeal against a ruling ordering it to hand over the minutes of crucial Cabinet meetings leading up to the war.
Information Commissioner Richard Thomas said the papers should be released under the Freedom of Information Act owing to the "gravity and controversial nature" of the conversations that were held.
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