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The father of a British IT consultant who was kidnapped in Baghdad two years ago has learnt his son may be freed within the next 48 hours. Graeme Moore shared his news after a senior member of the Shia militia group that seized his son, Peter, with his four bodyguards in 2007 was freed by the US military. The release of Laith al-Khazali is in line with demands by the group, Asaib al-Haq, which say his freedom, and that of other rebels, would be in return for the Britons. It is not clear whether the release of Laith was part of official or covert efforts to free the five Brits, but a friend of Peter Moore said it represented a “huge boost of hope.” Appearing on an internet broadcast, the friend, Amber Foley, also said she was “very down” in May, when two years passed since the 32-year-old was abducted. Her speaking out came on the same day that Graeme Moore was quoted as saying that he understands from Iraqi officials that his son could be released imminently. “We have always been told that Peter may be the first one to be released,” he told the Independent. “I heard this afternoon that this may take place within two days.” The decision of the two to speak out, coupled with the media’s to report their comments, signals an end to an information blackout requested by the Foreign Office. Critics of the strategy say it risks the hostages being forgotten to the public, but it seemed to pay off in March when a deal for their release was apparently brokered. Yet the reported claim by Asaib al-Haq that it had agreed the terms of release for the five men with British and American authorities has, so far, failed to materialise. Mr Moore, 59, reportedly reflected yesterday: “The problem is that we have heard on several occasions in the past that a deal had been done and my son and the others were going to be freed but then this never happened.” Peter Moore was seized at gunpoint at the Iraqi Finance Ministry, where he was teaching IT to officials and installing systems on a contract for Bearing Point, the US management consultancy. Jun 11, 2009 Email this article Printer friendly page Previous Page
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