Iraqi government officials may have colluded in British hostages' kidnap

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

Guardian investigation suggests link to multibillion-dollar frauds

Meena Muhammed, Maggie O'Kane and Guy Grandjean -

An investigation into the kidnapping of five British men in Iraq has uncovered evidence of possible collusion by Iraqi government officials in their abduction, and a possible motive – to keep secret the whereabouts of billions of dollars in embezzled funds.

A former high-level Iraqi intelligence operative and a current senior government minister, who has been negotiating directly with the hostage takers, have told the Guardian that the kidnapping of IT specialist Peter Moore and his four bodyguards in 2007 was not a simple snatch by a band of militants but a sophisticated operation, almost certainly with inside help. Only Moore is thought still to be alive.

Witnesses to the extraordinary operation which led to the abductions have also told us that they have been warned by superiors to keep quiet.

"This operation was on a state level, not al-Qaida. Only the state has the capability to carry this out," one of the sources said.

The Guardian can also reveal that there was a sixth westerner who was working with Moore at the time of the kidnap. The man – whose identity is known to the Guardian – managed to narrowly avoid being captured by hiding in a toilet at the Iraqi ministry of finance, where the abductions took place.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/30/kidnap-men-uncover-corruption

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(Audio) http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/audio/2009/jul/30/iraq-hostages">Maggie O'Kane of Guardian Films explains the background

(Video) http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2009/jul/30/british-hostages-iraq-government">Watch the video report of The Guardian's investigation

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2009/jul/30/british-hostages-iraq-kidnappers">Link to an interactive graphic of the kidnappers' tactics

[grytpype]

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