TV shows footage of Russain hostages in Iraq
The Arab news network Al Jazeera today broadcast footage of two Russian hostages held in Iraq, and read a statement from a group that demanded foreign troops withdraw from the country.
The brief footage showed the two men, seemingly in good health, sitting against a wall. One was drinking from a metallic cup, while the other was sitting nearby.
The men seemed to be talking with other people in the room, who were not shown.
Al Jazeera would not say how or when it received the video and accompanying statement.
The statement, from a group calling itself the Army of Al-Ta’ifah al-Mansurah (the victorious sect), said it had kidnapped the Russians and demanded that foreign countries withdraw their troops from Iraq.
A copy of the statement, read by an Al Jazeera announcer, was shown on half of the screen.
Al-Jazeera’s spokesman, Jihad Ballout, would not give details on how or when the station received what he called the “video communication” and statement.
The Russians, employees of Interenergoservis, were attacked on Monday in Musayyib, about 40 miles south of Baghdad, where they worked at the Southern Baghdad power station, said a Russian diplomat in Baghdad. One worker was killed, and two others taken hostage.
