The British Embassy said Sunday it has received a new video showing one of five British hostages seized by gunmen from Iraq's Finance Ministry nearly two years ago.The footage, which apparently was filmed as recently as last week, was the second videotape to be confirmed in just over a year.The kidnappers have demanded that the U.S. military release the founder of a Shiite militia group blamed for the brazen abductions, while the British have asked that he remain in custody, according to one official familiar with the case.The official declined to be identified because he wasn't authorized to release the information.The five Britons - an information technology consultant named Peter Moore and four of his security guards - were seized by heavily armed men in police uniforms in May 2007 from the Finance Ministry. They were driven away toward Baghdad's Shiite enclave of Sadr City.The British Embassy confirmed it had received a tape of one of the British hostages but refused to identify him or provide details on how it received the video."This is clearly a significant development and we'll continue to work for the safe release of all the hostages," embassy spokesman Sean McColm said.A British newspaper reported last year that the militia claimed one of the hostages had committed suicide but that was never confirmed.The BBC said Sunday that the hostage in the video is Moore and that he says the five are being treated well. (via google.com)
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