New video shows Iraq's German hostages

Two German hostages held in Iraq since the end of January have appeared in a video pleading for help, German media reported today.

A statement by their captors posted on a website often used by Iraq insurgent groups demanded the release of all prisoners held by US-led forces in Iraq and warned the two would be killed if its call was ignored.

"Learn that if our demands -- the release of all men and women held at the prisons of the occupation and stoppage of all assistance to the Americans and their (Shi'ite Iraqi) allies -- are not met, the just sentence would be urgently carried out," Ansar al-Tawhid Wa-Sunna said.

"This is the final call for the two German agents," it said in a message to the German government and the families of the hostages.

In February, the group issued what it called a final ultimatum saying it would kill the captives unless Berlin met its demands that Germany end cooperation with Baghdad, close its embassy and force all German firms to leave the country.

The men appearing in the video were identified by German broadcasters as Rene Braeunlich and Thomas Nitzschke.

The German government stopped short of identifying them, but confirmed it had received a video showing the hostages.

"I can assure you that we will do everything possible within our power to save the life of the hostages and to get the hostages back and free to Germany," Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a news conference, adding the video was being examined.

The two engineers from Leipzig are the only known German hostages in Iraq.

Looking distraught and exhausted, Braeunlich and Nitzschke were shown in front of a black banner with white Arabic writing on it.

One of the men, thought to be Nitzschke, could be heard saying in German: "We have been here for more than 60 days. We are at the end of our nerves. Please help us. We cannot bear this any longer. Please help us."

The video has a March 28 date stamp on it and is believed to be the fourth video message showing the Germans.

Al Jazeera television also aired a brief portion of the tape, showing the two bearded men standing in front of a black banner bearing the name of the Ansar al-Tawhid Wa-Sunna group.

Braeunlich and Nitzschke were abducted on Jan. 24 outside their workplace in the industrial town of Baiji, 180km north of Baghdad.

The German government said an emergency task force would meet early on Monday to discuss the results of the video analysis.

- REUTERS