The relatives of an IT consultant, who has been held hostage in
Iraq for nearly two years, spoke today of their hopes for his
release.
Consultant Peter Moore was working for American management and
technology consulting firm Bearingpoint when he was captured with
his four security guards.
The group was kidnapped by a group called the Islamic Shiite
Resistance in Iraq from the Ministry of Finance in Baghdad.
A video has just been released of Peter Moore and the other men,
and has been shown to their families.
Moore's stepmother Pauline Sweeney told the BBC he looks
healthier in the video compared to
earlier distressing footage, fuelling hopes of release.
Foreign secretary David Miliband said: "We call on those holding
all hostages to release them immediately and unconditionally and
return them safely to their families where they belong."
The IT industry has a role to play in both the military
operations and the re-building of Iraq.
Hi-tech equipment plays an important role in fighting, but
there will also be a role for the country in the global technology
industry, and a role for the industry in helping to re-build Iraq's
shattered
infrastructure.