Australia today formed a team of diplomats, defence staff and police who will attempt to free an engineer seized by Iraqi insurgents, but the government had a blunt message for the kidnappers: Australia will not remove its troops from Iraq or pay any ransom.

Iraqi militants have kidnapped an Australian man who pleaded for US-led coalition forces to leave Iraq in order to save his life, according to a video tape obtained today.

Iraqi militants who kidnapped an Australian reporter in Baghdad and threatened to kill him ”Googled” his name on the internet to investigate his work before releasing him unharmed, the journalist’s executive producer said today.