Brown on Iraq held British hostages
Iraq-UK, Politics, 12/11/2007

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown Sunday called for the immediate release of four British contractors held hostage in Iraq since May, saying his government will do everything within its power to secure their freedom.

"I want the hostage takers to accept their responsibility, to understand the consequences of what they are doing, to make possible the immediate release of the hostages, to allow them to come home at the earliest opportunity," Brown said.

"The taking of hostages is completely unjustified, wholly unacceptable and we are making it clear they will not change our policy in any way," he said, breaking a virtual six month silence on their plight.

His call follows the broadcast of a video tape from the hostages last week and the release of a statement from their relatives that broke a news blackout since they were seized by gunmen at Iraq's Finance Ministry in Baghdad in May.

The film threatened to kill one of the five, who are described as four security guards and computer expert, unless British troops leave Iraq.

But Brown insisted that his government would not change its policy on Iraq. British troops had already changed its role "from combat to over watch," he said in a broadcast statement.

In an interview with Sky News, Foreign Secretary David Miliband denied that Britain had been complacent about the fate of the hostages, saying "publicity should not be confused with activity." "The whole government is working very actively," Miliband said but refused to say whether Brown's statement indicated the hostages would be freed soon, saying it would be "wrong raising hopes one way or other."

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