Report: Iraq group threatens to kill hostages
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-06-02 17:40

Al Arabiya television aired footage on Wednesday of an Iraqi group threatening to kill an Egyptian and a Turkish hostage if their countries did not condemn the U.S.-led occupation in Iraq.

"Death will be the fate of these people if their governments don't condemn the occupation," said a masked man holding an assault rifle as two men crouched in front of him holding up their passports.

"I deliver food stuffs from Kuwait to the U.S. army," said one of the men, who was clean-shaven and spoke in Arabic with an Egyptian accent. The other man had a mustache and spoke in what sounded like Turkish.

Both men attempted to identify themselves on the tape, but the quality was so poor it was difficult for viewers to be sure of what they were saying.

Scores of foreigners have been taken hostage by Iraqi armed groups, who are battling the U.S.-led presence in Iraq. Some hostages have been released but others have been killed.

On Tuesday, Iraq's new government was sworn in with the president-designate demanding the United Nations give "full sovereignty" when the U.S.-led occupation authority is dissolved on June 30. A U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq in 2003 and toppled former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.

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