- An Islamist website has shown what appears to be the
beheading in Iraq of a man described as a CIA agent. In the four-minute
video, a Western-looking man was seen surrounded by masked men, one of
whom seemed to sever the victim's head with a long knife.
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- US officials said they were trying to establish whether
the tape was genuine.
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- A video posted on an Islamic militant website on Saturday
apparently showing an American being beheaded was later found to be a hoax.
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- The latest video was shown as the Bulgarian authorities
confirmed that a headless body found in the River Tigris in Iraq was that
of kidnapped lorry-driver Ivaylo Kepov.
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- Group not identified
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- In the video, the apparent victim was shown seated wearing
a plain T-shirt and trousers.
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- A sign round his neck read "CIA agent" and
the Arabic word for "visitor".
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- However, the Associated Press news agency quoted a US
official as saying the CIA had accounted for all its employees.
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- The website did not say which group had issued the video.
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- The masked men did not say who they were or make any
demands, as in some previous videos.
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- One of the men was seen in close-up cutting at the man's
throat, then holding the head in the air as voices were heard shouting
"Allah is great".
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- Dozens of people have been kidnapped by armed groups
in Iraq, and at least nine have been killed.
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- There are currently three Americans - a soldier and two
civilian contractors - known to be missing in Iraq.
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- Private Keith Maupin was reported to have been taken
hostage in April and shot dead by his captors in June, but his death has
never been verified.
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- The other two, William Bradley and Timothy Bell, went
missing at the same time as Pfc Maupin but have not been seen since.
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- © BBC MMIV http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3557092.stm
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