Shiite group insists British captive was treated well
Source: Agencies |
March 16, 2010, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A SHIITE extremist group yesterday discounted claims from its former hostage that he was mistreated, presenting a video taken during his two-and-a-half year captivity showing the Briton exercising and playing with a child.
Peter Moore and his four bodyguards were taken hostage outside the Finance Ministry in Baghdad in May 2007 by men wearing uniforms. After more than two years in captivity, Moore was freed last December and returned home to Britain.
Moore told British media he was tortured, doused with water, hung by his arms from a door and at one point subjected to a mock execution.
The 40-second video depicts Peter Moore counting prayer beads while lying on a mattress inside a simple room with a dirt floor. He is also shown watching TV, playing with a small child, eating an orange, writing, and exercising on a treadmill.
Moore's release was a rare positive outcome for a foreign hostage held in Iraq. Three of Moore's bodyguards had died and the fourth is also believed to be dead.
An information technology specialist, Moore worked in Iraq for BearingPoint, a US-based management consulting firm. The other four worked for Canadian security firm GardaWorld.
In interviews last week, Moore, 36, described to Channel 4 News how he was led handcuffed to a mock execution, told to kneel down and felt a gun being put to his head. He said, at that moment, he thought he was dead.
The group, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, which was believed to have held Moore and the others, agreed last year after a meeting with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to lay down its arms and join the political process, raising hopes for Moore's release. In return, authorities agreed to seek the release of the group's members in US custody.
In the statement yesterday, the group - known in English as the League of the Righteous - accused Moore of "deliberately lying to spoil the reputation of the Islamic resistance."
"We deny the lies he said and assure all that we had treated him well," it said. "To confirm our position, we are showing you a video of Moore's circumstances while in custody."
Peter Moore and his four bodyguards were taken hostage outside the Finance Ministry in Baghdad in May 2007 by men wearing uniforms. After more than two years in captivity, Moore was freed last December and returned home to Britain.
Moore told British media he was tortured, doused with water, hung by his arms from a door and at one point subjected to a mock execution.
The 40-second video depicts Peter Moore counting prayer beads while lying on a mattress inside a simple room with a dirt floor. He is also shown watching TV, playing with a small child, eating an orange, writing, and exercising on a treadmill.
Moore's release was a rare positive outcome for a foreign hostage held in Iraq. Three of Moore's bodyguards had died and the fourth is also believed to be dead.
An information technology specialist, Moore worked in Iraq for BearingPoint, a US-based management consulting firm. The other four worked for Canadian security firm GardaWorld.
In interviews last week, Moore, 36, described to Channel 4 News how he was led handcuffed to a mock execution, told to kneel down and felt a gun being put to his head. He said, at that moment, he thought he was dead.
The group, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, which was believed to have held Moore and the others, agreed last year after a meeting with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to lay down its arms and join the political process, raising hopes for Moore's release. In return, authorities agreed to seek the release of the group's members in US custody.
In the statement yesterday, the group - known in English as the League of the Righteous - accused Moore of "deliberately lying to spoil the reputation of the Islamic resistance."
"We deny the lies he said and assure all that we had treated him well," it said. "To confirm our position, we are showing you a video of Moore's circumstances while in custody."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
