According to Austrian newspapers, the mercenaries had been held by corrupt Iraqi police officials

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http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_2296868,00.html

Hostage bungles anger families

Vienna - Families of five security agents kidnapped in 2006 in southern Iraq, four of whom have been found dead, have criticised the behaviour of United States and Austrian authorities, reported the Austrian press on Sunday.

The mother of 25-year-old Austrian security contractor Bert Nussbaumer, said she was "disappointed and angered" after learning of alleged botches in the handling of the hostage crisis, the daily Osterreich reported. Her son's death was confirmed by Vienna on Saturday.

"The hostages could have been freed rapidly," said Mark Koscielski, a spokesperson for the families of the US hostages, in remarks reported by Krone Zeitung.

According to Koscielski, an Iraqi doctor had contacted the US domestic Federal Bureau of Investigation in Baghdad hoping to trade information about the hostages' whereabouts for US visas for himself and his family.

"The American authorities refused," Koscielski told the newspaper. snip

According to Austrian newspapers, the security agents had been held by corrupt Iraqi police officials who wanted $150 000 (about R1.3m) in exchange for their freedom.

Koscielski claimed he had amassed some of the demanded amount, but US authorities refused to negotiate, reported the Osterreich daily, citing former Iraqi security employees as the original abductors.