| A video tape surfaced Saturday apparently of a British and two American hostages seized in Iraq, blindfolded and under threat of execution in 48 hours unless female Iraqi prisoners are freed. The Arabic television station Al-Jazeera initially received the tape, and aired brief segments of it; it later surfaced in full on a Web site known for its Islamic militant content. Each man, sitting on the floor wearing a white blindfold, identified himself and then said: "My job consists of installing and furnishing camps at Taji base.'' They appeared unharmed and sat mostly looking downward. The video was the first word on Americans Jack Hensley and Eugene Armstrong and Briton Kenneth Bigley, who were abducted early Thursday. The authenticity of the tape could not be verified. |