Four Italians and nine US citizens amoung 40 Iraq hostages

FOUR Italians working as private security guards for a US company in Iraq and nine Americans were among 40 hostages being held in Iraq yesterday.

Al-Jazeera broadcast a video showing four Italians sitting on the floor holding their passports. Behind them were men with machine guns.

Among the nine US citizens missing is a Mississippi man known to have been kidnapped and whose abductors have threatened to kill him.