Relatives of kidnapped men in Iraq renew appeal

Published on Saturday 19 December 2009 01:17

THE relatives of two men taken hostage in Iraq made renewed appeals last night for their release.

Alan McMenemy from Glasgow and Peter Moore were kidnapped by 40 armed men in police uniforms at the finance ministry in Baghdad in 2007.

Their colleagues, Jason Creswell, Jason Swindlehurst and Alec MacLachlan, were killed and their bodies returned to the UK earlier this year.

Yesterday, Mr McMenemy's wife Rosalyn said her son wanted his father home for Christmas. In an interview with the BBC she said: "The children are quite excited about Christmas, but there's always the fact that Alan is not there.

"My son, Luke, did ask Santa to bring his Daddy home for Christmas. That's what he'd like for Christmas."

Her husband was working in the country as a security guard, while Mr Moore is an IT consultant.

Mr Moore's stepfather, Fran Sweeney, said that he hoped the kidnappers would show humanity and allow the two Britons to return home.

Mrs McMenemy said she had to believe that her husband was alive. She said: "I think I have to believe that at the moment. It would be too difficult to think anything else at the moment."

British officials have voiced fears that Mr McMenemy has been killed, but still believe that Mr Moore, from Lincoln, may be alive.

Mr Moore's stepmother, Pauline Sweeney, said work was being done behind the scenes to get the men freed.

In a message to the kidnappers, she said: "The boys are totally non-political and hopefully they'll show humanity and compassion and let them come home and let there be an end to it."