Iraqicaptors holding a German woman and her son hostage have said they were giving Germany a new deadline of 10 days to withdrawits troops from Afghanistanor the two would be killed.

The Arrowsof Righteousness group posted a video on the internet showing HanneloreMarianne Krause urging Germans to press their government to heed the demands. 

Krause ismarried to an Iraqi physician and moved to Iraq 40 years ago. Her son isreported to be in his mid-20s and has dual German-Iraqi citizenship.

"Iurge the German people to help me in my difficult situation," Krause saidin the new video, in which she was shown sitting next to her son.

"Germany was safe before it got involved in thissatanic coalition with Americaagainst what they call terrorism. 

"Maybefor the last time ...I urge you. Perhaps you can go to the newspapers, perhapsyou can organise a protest march ...contact people who can help you, pleaseplease, please."

Theremarks were addressed to a son and daughter living in Germany.

Newultimatum

One ofher captors speaking on the video but out of sight said: "We are givingthe German government another 10 days to begin withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan orwe shall kill this criminal woman and her son who works in the foreign ministryof the government of Maliki [the Iraqi prime minister]."

He saidthe woman was seized partly because she worked at the Austrian embassy in Baghdad.

"Austria is a government hostile to Islam andMuslims and it also has troops to kill our children in Afghanistan,"he said.

Germany, which opposed the 2003 US-ledinvasion of Iraq, has about3,000 troops in Afghanistanas part of a Nato force stationed in the country after US-led troops toppledthe Taliban in 2001 for harbouring al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. 

Austria said last month it had fiveofficers in Afghanistanand was not planning to send more troops.

TheGerman government has said it is working to try to secure the hostages' releasebut will not be blackmailed.