Kidnapped British hostage released
A BRITISH man held hostage in Iraq for more than two-and-a-half years is today celebrating his freedom.
Computer expert Peter Moore, 36, was kidnapped along with his four British bodyguards at the finance ministry in Baghdad on May 29, 2007.
Fears for his safety grew after the bodies of three of the security guards were handed over to the UK authorities.
But Foreign Secretary David Miliband confirmed yesterday that Mr Moore had been released and was in “good health”.
He said: “Peter was set free by his captors in Baghdad and delivered to the Iraqi authorities. He is now in the care of the British embassy in Baghdad.”
Mr Miliband said he had a “very moving” conversation with Mr Moore, from Lincoln, adding that the former hostage was “to put it mildly, absolutely delighted” at his release.
Mr Moore’s father Graeme, aged 60, from Wigston, Leicestershire, said he was “over the moon” at the news.
He said: “We are so relieved and we just want to get him home, back now to his family and friends.
“I’m breaking down, I’m just so overjoyed for the lad. It’s been such a long haul.
“I know that there have been one or two people working in the background to get Peter released.
“Peter is a very resilient lad and he always has been because of his background... but I don’t know how close he was to those others who have been shot.”
The father added that he felt the Foreign Office had been “obstructive” in the effort to secure his son’s safe release.
Mr Moore and his guards – Alan McMenemy, Alec MacLachlan, Jason Swindlehurst and Jason Creswell – were seized by about 40 armed men wearing police uniforms.
Earlier this year there were fresh hopes that all five Britons could be freed after the United States released a leading Shiite insurgent who had been linked to the kidnapping. But these were dashed when the bodies of Mr Swindlehurst, 38, from Skelmersdale, Lancashire, and Mr Creswell, 39, originally from Glasgow, were handed over in June.
This was followed by the delivery of the body of Mr MacLachlan, 30, from Llanelli, South Wales, to the British embassy in Baghdad in September.
The family of Mr McMenemy, from Glasgow, was told by the Foreign Office in July he was “very likely” to have died.
Mr Miliband appealed for the kidnappers to release Mr McMenemy’s body.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was “hugely relieved” by the “wonderful news” that Mr Moore had been released and would be reunited with his family.
