Britain urged to do more for hostages

BAGHDAD, May 28 (UPI) -- Britain needs to do more to speed the release of five men kidnapped in Baghdad two years ago, Iraq's national security adviser said.

His comments came as the father of one of the hostages criticized the government for failing his son and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband made a fresh appeal for their release.

Iraqi national security adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie said that the Iraqi government was trying its hardest to secure the release of the hostages.

In an e-mail to The Times of London, he said, "The families of the hostages should work on the Western governments to be much more proactive in their approach towards this problem."

The hostage-takers, thought to be a highly trained group with links to Iran, want to trade the Britons for 10 prisoners held in U.S. detention in Iraq.