Iraq and UK officials say two UK hostages dead

Wed Jul 29, 2009 3:47pm EDT

* British official says two hostages 'very likely' dead

* Families appeal for compassion, speak of ordeal

* Fifth hostage believed to be alive

(Recasts with Miliband comments)

By Kate Kelland

LONDON, July 29 (Reuters) - Two British hostages held in Iraq are very likely to have been killed by their captors, meaning four of a group of five Britons seized in 2007 are now dead, British and Iraqi officials said on Wednesday.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, speaking alongside U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington, said the British Foreign Office had informed families of the two hostages on July 20 that it was "very likely" they were dead.

"This is based on credible information," he said.

In June the bodies of two other hostages, whom a coroner's report said had been shot dead, were handed over by their captors to the Iraqi government in June. The fifth hostage, computer engineer Peter Moore, is thought to still be alive.

The five men, Moore and his four bodyguards, were seized by a Shi'ite militant group from the Iraqi Finance Ministry at the height of the sectarian bloodshed that killed tens of thousands of people after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

An Iraqi politician close to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki also said four of the hostages were dead.

"Two of (the men's bodies) have been handed over and there are efforts being made by the government with the abductors to release (the bodies of) the others," Sami al-Askari said.

Askari said it was not clear when the other bodies would be returned. He said all four men were killed at the same time.



"TERRIBLE ORDEAL"

The families of the five men said in a statement they were distressed to hear the news that two more of them -- named as Alan McMenemy and Alec MacLachlan -- had been killed.

"We are all deeply upset and troubled to hear the reports that Alec and Alan have died in the hands of their captors, as well as Jason Swindlehurst and Jason Creswell," they said.

"This is a terrible ordeal for us all. We ask those holding our men for compassion when so many are working hard for reconciliation in Iraq and we continue to pray for the safe return of our men."

Prime Minister Gordon Brown called on the hostage-takers to give clarify on their fate.

"I and the entire government are committed to doing everything that we can for the release of Peter Moore, whom we still believe to be alive," he said in a statement.

Since the Britons were seized two years ago, several videos of them in captivity have emerged. In March, Britain's Channel 4 News television said a video showed a healthy-looking Moore.

In February 2008, another video featuring Moore was aired by Dubai-based Al Arabiya television in which he called on British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to free nine Iraqis in return for the hostages' freedom.

Britain joined the United States in invading Iraq in 2003, but has now withdrawn almost all its troops. (Additional reporting by Waleed Ibrahim and Suadad al-Salhy; Editing by Matthew Jones)



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