Forger quizzed over 'hostage beheading'

A computer expert who faked his own beheading in Iraq to show how easily the US media could be fooled was questioned by the FBI yesterday.

Benjamin Vanderford, 22, may evade prosecution as it is not certain that he broke any law. But he admits filming the 55-second clip, which shows a knife sawing against his neck, at a friend's house in San Francisco.

Mr Vanderford said in the video: 'We need to leave this country right now. If we don't, everyone is gonna be killed.'

He made the video, which uses fake blood, available on an online file-sharing network and it was shown on Arab TV on Saturday.

US officials in Iraq then questioned its authenticity. Mr Vanderford said: 'I thought about how easily the US media can be manipulated.'

The FBI said the hoax made a mockery of genuine suffering. Also yesterday, Iraqi militants said they kidnapped Iranian diplomat Fereidoun Jahani, claiming he incited sectarian strife in the city of Kerbala.

And relatives of four kidnapped Lebanese lorry drivers appealed for their release.