Romanian journalists in Iraq video
(CNN) -- Al Jazeera has aired video of three Romanian journalists and a translator held hostage in Iraq since last month and threatened to kill them if Romania fails to withdraw its troops from Iraq within four days of the video's release.
Video broadcast on Friday showed a woman sitting between two men and speaking to the camera, and then showed one man sitting down and speaking to the camera.
Al Jazeera identified that man as "American Mohammad Munaf who was accompanying the Romanian journalists when they were taken hostage."
Guns were pointed at the heads of the men.
The Al Jazeera anchor read this news copy as pictures of the hostages were shown:
"The Brigades of Mu'ad ibn Jabal have released a video of the Romanian journalists who have been held hostage in Iraq since March 28. In the video the journalists appealed to the Romanian government to pull its troops from Iraq to ensure their release.
"Marie-Jeanne Ion, the female hostage, said that the kidnappers gave the Romanian government four days from the release of the video to withdraw its troops from Iraq or the journalists will be killed."
The anchor also said: "She asked the Romanian people to organize protests in order to pressure the Romanian government in order to ensure that the kidnappers' demands are met."
Al Jazeera added: "American Mohammed Munaf, who was taken hostage along with the three Romanians, also appealed to President Bush to interfere to ensure his release."
Munaf has citizenship in Iraq, the United States, and Romania. He was born in Iraq and has been living in Romania for the past several years, a senior Romanian official had told CNN.
The brigades took the name of a disciple of the Prophet Mohammed who was known for the pursuit of justice.
Romania, the United States and Iraq had been coordinating rescue efforts, and Romania has been consulting countries whose citizens had been kidnapped in Iraq, the official said.
