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Edition: U.S. Article Video Save Email Print Reprints Most Popular Most Shared Plot exposes fissure in U.S. intelligence community 1:29am EST Afghan attacks kill 8 CIA employees, 5 Canadians | Video 8:53am EST Pakistan seeks terrorism charges against Americans 9:01am EST Afghan insurgents seize 2 French journalists 10:31am EST Gunman kills five then himself in Finland 10:21am EST Tiger Woods scandal cost shareholders up to $12 billion 29 Dec 2009 Treasury to dole out $3.8 billion to GMAC, raise stake 30 Dec 2009 Chavez says Obama "illusion" over 28 Dec 2009 Facebook, Twitter top list of weird stories in 2009 29 Dec 2009 Employers see uptick in hiring in 2010 29 Dec 2009 UK plays down report Iran directed hostage-taking Stefano Ambrogi LONDON Thu Dec 31, 2009 9:10am EST Factbox British hostages in Iraq Wed, Dec 30 2009 Related News British hostage freed in Iraq Wed, Dec 30 2009 Colombia says rebels murder kidnapped governor Wed, Dec 23 2009 Iran warns of serious action against UK yachtsmen Tue, Dec 1 2009 Related Video UK hostage Moore is freed in Iraq Wed, Dec 30 2009 LONDON (Reuters) - Britain played down a report on Thursday that Iran masterminded the kidnapping in Iraq of a British man held hostage for more than 2-1/2 years, saying there was no firm evidence of direct Iranian involvement. World The Guardian newspaper said computer expert Peter Moore and his four bodyguards were snatched in an operation led by Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps. The newspaper said its year-long investigation also found that Moore, who was released on Wednesday, and his guards were taken to Iran within a day of being kidnapped by militants in Baghdad in May 2007. Three of the bodyguards were killed, and the British government says a fourth is also likely to be dead. Citing senior officials in Iraq and Iran, the paper said Moore was seized because his computing work would have shown that vast amounts of aid money flowing into Iraq were being diverted to Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq. The Iranian government was not immediately available for comment but Iranian state television said of the Guardian report "this claim was part of a psychological war against Iran." Friction between Britain and Iran has increased because of a dispute over Iran's nuclear program and British calls on Iran to respect human rights. Iran's foreign minister threatened Britain with a "slap in the mouth" this week. The BBC reported on Thursday that when its security correspondent asked U.S. Central Command chief General David Petraeus -- the top commander in the region -- this month about the possibility of the hostages being held in Iran, he replied: "I'm absolutely certain. I'm 90 percent certain." UK SAYS NO FIRM EVIDENCE The British foreign ministry told Reuters there was nothing to substantiate the newspaper's report that Iran had orchestrated the operation, and played down the report that the hostages had been taken to Iran immediately after being seized. "We can't be absolutely sure where they were for every single one of the days of their two and a half years of captivity. "But we are pretty clear there is no firm evidence that links Iran directly with the kidnappings -- it is not an avenue that we have been aware of," a Foreign Office spokeswoman said. "All the evidence we have, and we have worked on this for a very long time, does not suggest direct involvement," she added. British officials have said they believe a Shi'ite militant group called Asaib al-Haq, or Leagues of Righteousness, may have been behind the kidnapping. Shi'ite cleric Qais al-Khazali, believed to be a senior Asaib al-Haq member, was transferred on Wednesday from U.S. custody in Iraq to that of Iraqi authorities, but the British government denied any deal had been done for Moore's release. The Guardian quoted an unnamed former Iranian Revolutionary Guards officer as saying the kidnap was masterminded by Iran and carried out by the al-Quds force, a unit that specializes in foreign operations on behalf of Iran. "It was an Iranian kidnap, led by the Revolutionary Guards, carried out by the al-Quds force," the former Revolutionary Guards major told the paper. "My contact works for al-Quds. He took part in the planning of the kidnap and he watched the kidnapping as it was taking place. He told me that they spent two days at the Qasser Shiereen camp (just inside Iran). They then took them deep inside Iran." A serving unnamed Iraqi government minister with close links to Iran backed his version of events. "You don't think for a moment that those militia groups from Sadr City could have carried out a high-level kidnapping like this one?" he is quoted as telling the paper. (Reporting by Stefano Ambrogi; editing by Adrian Croft and Tim Pearce) World More from Reuters Jobless claims hit 17-month low WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of U.S. workers filing new applications for jobless benefits fell last week to the lowest level in about 17 months, suggesting the economy might be on the cusp of job creation. Iran police fire teargas at protesters: opposition Plot exposes fissure in U.S. intelligence community Pakistan seeks terrorism charges against Americans Israel, U.S. "not discussing" military tack on Iran Afghan insurgents seize 2 French journalists » More Top News OUTLOOK 2010: The coming Great Inflation Real or imagined, Americans have plenty of things to worry about. Should inflation be one of them? Full Article Factbox: Key political risks ahead The best of years follows the worst ECONOMY Rolfe Winkler: Move your money Boycotting "too big to fail" banks is a great idea -- so long as investors remember that banks aren't the only ones responsible for the crisis. Full Article Commentary © Copyright 2009 Thomson Reuters Editorial Editions: Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom United States Reuters Contact Us Advertise With Us Help Journalism Handbook Archive Site Index Video Index Analyst Research Mobile Newsletters RSS Podcasts Widgets Your View Labs Thomson Reuters Copyright Disclaimer Privacy Professional Products Professional Products Support Financial Products About Thomson Reuters Careers Online Products Acquisitions Monthly Buyouts.com Buyouts Europe: Buyouts Conferences: Venture Capital Journal ECVJ International Financing Review International Securitisation Report Project Finance International PEhub.com PE Week Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

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