DOHA (AFP) - A Polish woman held hostage by a militant group in Iraq was shown in a video on Al-Jazeera TV pleading for the withdrawal of Polish troops from the country and the release of women prisoners to save her life.
"My life is in great danger, and the only thing that will save me is a response to the Iraqis' demand for, first, the withdrawal of Polish military forces from Iraqi territory, and secondly, offering any possible help to release Iraqi women prisoners from various US prisons in Iraq," she said, according to an Arabic voiceover.
The woman has been identified by Polish media as Teresa Borcz, 54, a native of Krakow married to an Iraqi and resident in Iraq for more than 30 years.
In a video also aired by Al-Jazeera on Thursday, a group calling itself the Al-Salafiya Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Brigades said it kidnapped Borcz and demanded the withdrawal of the 2,500 Polish troops in Iraq, prompting an immediate refusal from Warsaw.
"For the second time I appeal for help from the Polish government, the Polish people," the captive said in Saturday's footage.
"I appeal to anyone who can help me get out of this situation given that I am a Polish citizen and I am somehow being held responsible for the presence of Polish military forces on Iraqi territory. Once more I ask you to help me in order to save my life," said Borcz, shown sitting on a chair with a big banner bearing the name of the group holding her in the background.
She was dressed in black.
Polish Muslims called Friday for the woman to be freed.
"We call on all forces in Iraq to help efforts to free the kidnapped Polish woman," said Jozef Konopacki, deputy president of the 5,000-strong association of Polish Muslims.
The Iraqi interior ministry said the woman was kidnapped from her home in Baghdad apparently overnight Wednesday to Thursday.
The government in Warsaw held an emergency session Thursday to discuss the response to the kidnapping, but Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski rejected demands to withdraw Poland's forces from Iraq.
"The Polish government is not in the business of meeting kidnappers' demands," Szmajdzinski told TVN.
He said the woman could be an employee of a private contractor working for the US-led forces in Iraq.
Al-Jazeera on Thursday quoted the group as saying the woman "works for the American forces in Iraq" and that "she will only be freed in return for a withdrawal of Polish soldiers from Iraq."
A close ally of Washington in Iraq, Poland commands a multinational military force in a sector south of Baghdad and has sent 2,500 of its own soldiers, making it the fifth-largest contributor to the US-led coalition force.
But Polish officials have indicated they want to end the unpopular troop deployment, possibly by the end of next year, and have criticized the United States for failing to provide enough military aid to Poland.
In June, a Polish contractor was freed a week after being kidnapped from the office of a Polish company in the Iraqi capital.
Coalition forces in Iraq rescued the Pole and three Italian hostages in a bloodless sweep.
More than 150 foreigners have been seized in Iraq since April. More than 30 hostages have been killed by their captors.
10/31/2004 - 01:45 GMT - AFP