DOHA, Aug 24 (AFP) - A group calling itself the Islamic Army in Iraq on Tuesday released video footage of an Italian journalist it said it was holding and gave Rome 48 hours to announce it was pulling its troops out of Iraq.
The tape, aired by the Arabic satellite news channel Al-Jazeera, showed the hostage and an Italian television station confirmed he was Enzo Baldoni, correspondent of the Diario della Settimana weekly, who had been missing since Thursday.
The hostage, whose remarks were translated into Arabic, said: "I am Enzo Baldoni from Italy. I am 56 and a journalist. I (also) work in the social field as a volunteer with the Red Cross. I help others. I came to Iraq to write a chapter of my new book about the resistance."
Al-Jazeera said the Islamic Army in Iraq gave Italy 48 hours to announce a decision to withdraw its troops from Iraq.
"In a statement, the group said that it cannot guarantee the Italian`s safety ... if Italy does not respond within 48 hours with a decision to withdraw its troops from Iraqi territories," the Qatar-based TV said.
The Italian government swiftly responded that it would maintain its 3,000 troops in Iraq despite the ultimatum.
A statement from Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi`s office said it was committed to gaining the release of Baldoni, but insisted it would maintain its presence in Iraq.
Al-Jazeera, showing a copy of the statement issued by the captors, said they lashed out at Berlusconi over what they called "his positions hostile to Islam and his insistence on continuing to participate in the war on Iraq".
Baldoni`s newspaper had said on Saturday that the journalist had probably been the victim of a kidnapping in which his driver was killed.
What appeared to be the body of his driver-interpreter was reported found Saturday near the Shiite holy city of Najaf, where there has been heavy fighting.
The Islamic Army in Iraq has claimed responsibility for the abduction of an Iranian diplomat who went missing in Iraq earlier this month. It was also blamed for the execution last month of two Pakistani workers taken hostage.
Dozens of foreigners have been taken hostage in Iraq by armed insurgents fighting the US-led multinational coalition with the aim of putting pressure on their governments or employers to leave the war-torn country.
Berlusconi`s government, a staunch US ally, has already suffered one lengthy hostage crisis after four Italians working for a private security firm were kidnapped last April.
One was shot dead within days, but the three others were freed in June during an operation by coalition forces.
A group linked to the Al-Qaeda terror network has also threatened, in statements posted on the internet, to attack Italian targets after Rome ignored an ultimatum to leave Iraq.