Britain and Iran downplay Tehran link to Iraq hostages

Britain and Iran downplayed yesterday a report that the 2007 kidnapping of a British computer expert and his bodyguards in Iraq was led by Iran's Revolutionary Guard and that they were held there.

Peter Moore was freed unharmed Wednesday after a two-and-a-half year ordeal in which all four bodyguards are thought to have died. A first photo since his release showed him looking relaxed in the grounds of Britain's Baghdad embassy.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown spoke to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki yesterday "to thank him for his efforts in the release of the British hostage Peter Moore," Downing Street said in a statement.

But there is speculation a deal was done after it emerged the leader of the group which took Mr Moore from a government building in Baghdad was being transferred from US to Iraqi custody.

Iran has dismissed as "baseless" reports of its involvement, saying they were motivated by British "anger" over a crackdown on opposition protests.

"They emanate from the British anger towards the rallies in which millions of Iranians took part to condemn British interference in (Iran's) internal affairs," foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast was quoted as saying by state-controlled news channel Al-Alam.

Britain added it had "no evidence" to support the report in The Guardian newspaper that the Revolutionary Guard led the operation and took the five to Iran within a day of their abduction.

The BBC also quoted the US's former commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, as saying he was "90 per cent certain" that the group was held in Iran for part of their time in captivity. General Petraeus was quoted telling a correspondent earlier this month: "I'm absolutely certain. I'm 90 per cent certain" when asked if they were taken to Iran, adding: "I'm pretty sure I've seen hard intelligence on it."

Mr Moore was targeted because he was installing a computer tracking system that would show how international aid money to Iraqi institutions was diverted to Iran's militia groups in Iraq, The Guardian said.

A former unnamed Revolutionary Guard said the five were held in two camps. "It was an Iranian kidnap, led by the Revolutionary Guard, carried out by the Al-Quds brigade," he was quoted saying.

An unnamed Iraqi government minister backed up the claims, telling The Guardian: "This was an IRG (Iranian Revolutionary Guard) operation".

But Sami al-Askari, an Iraqi lawmaker who The Guardian suggested had flown to Iran to meet the kidnappers, denied this to the BBC, while acknowledging that he was involved in talks with the hostage-takers in Iraq.

Britain's Foreign Office said it has "no evidence" to support the reports of an Iranian link.

"We have seen speculation that Iran is directly involved in this case," a spokesman said. "Iran of course has an influence in Iraq, but we have no evidence to substantiate claims of direct involvement in this case."