Militants post Alan Johnston video

A video of the BBC's kidnapped Middle East correspondent Alan Johnston has been posted on a website by the Army of Islam group.

In the video Mr Johnston, who was snatched from his car in Gaza 81 days ago, appears fit and calm and said he was being treated well.

Wearing a baggy red sweater, the reporter, who turned 45 while in captivity, called for the lifting of international sanctions against the Palestinian government.

There was no way to tell when the video, which appeared on the Al-Ekhlaas website, was recorded but it bore the logo of the Army of Islam.

Mr Johnston spoke of the suffering people in Gaza have endured and asked for a lifting of sanctions imposed in an effort to put pressure on the Palestinian government to recognise Israel's right to exist and renounce violence.

He directly criticises the British Government's foreign policy in the video, saying it was "completely to blame" for the problems in Iraq.

He says: "In all this we can see the British Government endlessly working to occupy Muslim lands against the will of the people in those places.

"From history, the British worked to bring about the state of Israel which is the cause of all the suffering of the Palestinian people.

"We the British are completely to blame along with the Americans for the situation in Iraq, and the British are the main force in Afghanistan causing all the trouble to all the simple Afghans who simply want to live."

As he started talking about directing a message to his family the video was cut and the screen flashed up a sign saying "BBC refused to take this message to his family".

Prime Minister Tony Blair, apparently referring to Mr Johnston's remarks on British and Israeli policy, said: "I don't think I should really comment on the video as such, made in the circumstances in which it is. But we will carry on doing everything we can and hope that we can secure his release."

The Foreign Office said it condemned the release of the video.

The Palestinian news agency Ramattan said it had received a recording of the kidnapped reporter from the Army of Islam group.

It is a little-known group but has previously claimed responsibility for Mr Johnston's kidnapping and demanded that Britain frees Muslim prisoners.

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