He thought he was accepting a routine IT contract. Instead, Peter Moore disappeared into captivity for 946 days. In 2007, British IT consultant Peter Moore traveled to Baghdad believing he would be helping rebuild Iraq's Ministry of Finance from the safety of the Green Zone. Days after arriving, he and four British security contractors were kidnapped by an Iranian-backed militia. Peter would spend the next 946 days as a hostage. For more than two and a half years, he endured isolation, psychological torture, repeated mock executions, and...
He thought he was accepting a routine IT contract.
Instead, Peter Moore disappeared into captivity for 946 days.
In 2007, British IT consultant Peter Moore traveled to Baghdad believing he would be helping rebuild Iraq's Ministry of Finance from the safety of the Green Zone. Days after arriving, he and four British security contractors were kidnapped by an Iranian-backed militia.
Peter would spend the next 946 days as a hostage.
For more than two and a half years, he endured isolation, psychological torture, repeated mock executions, and the daily uncertainty of whether he would ever see his family again. The four men kidnapped alongside him never made it home.
This is Peter Moore's only long-form interview about his captivity.
In this extraordinary conversation, Peter shares the full story—from accepting what he thought was a routine overseas contract to surviving one of the longest hostage ordeals of the Iraq War. He reflects on the mindset that carried him through captivity, the routines that kept him alive, the power of hope and humor in the darkest moments, and what it means to rebuild a life after unimaginable trauma.
This isn't simply a story about being held hostage.
It's a conversation about resilience, perspective, and the extraordinary strength of the human spirit.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Peter Realizes He's Been Kidnapped
02:00 Introduction
03:02 Peter Moore's Background
10:14 The IT Contract That Changed Everything
15:11 Why He Accepted a Job in Baghdad
25:52 Arriving in Iraq
32:39 Day One in the Green Zone
40:28 The Kidnapping Begins
53:37 Life as a Hostage
1:06:58 The Mock Execution That Changed Everything
1:15:47 Deciding to Survive
1:27:41 Building Routines to Stay Alive
1:44:26 The Interrogations
1:58:11 Humor as a Survival Tool
2:10:54 Learning the Fate of the Other Hostages
2:24:37 The Day He Was Released
2:39:15 Returning Home After 946 Days
2:46:22 The British Embassy & The First Taste of Freedom
2:52:18 Life After Captivity
3:00:46 Final Reflections on Survival & Resilience
Guest — Peter Moore
Peter Moore is a British IT consultant who traveled to Iraq in 2007 to support reconstruction efforts following the Iraq War. Just days after arriving in Baghdad, he and four British security contractors were kidnapped by an Iranian-backed militia. Peter spent 946 days in captivity before being released in December 2009, making him one of the longest-held Western civilian hostages of the Iraq War. Today, he speaks about resilience, survival, and the mindset that carried him through one of the most extraordinary hostage experiences of the 21st century.
Host — AJ Pasciuti
AJ Pasciuti is a retired Marine Force Recon Scout Sniper and Infantry Weapons Officer (Marine Gunner), author of Darkhorse: Harnessing Hidden Potential in War and Life, and host of the Combat Story Podcast, where veterans and extraordinary individuals share honest, unfiltered stories of combat, leadership, resilience, and life after adversity.
Find AJ Online:
Darkhorse: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/book
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajpasciuti/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelo-pasciuti/
Website: https://www.ajpasciuti.com/
About Combat Story
Combat Story is a podcast featuring authentic, long-form conversations with veterans, intelligence professionals, first responders, and remarkable individuals whose experiences offer lessons in leadership, resilience, and service. Every episode goes beyond the headlines to explore the human stories behind extraordinary events.
Follow Combat Story wherever you listen to podcasts, and join us every other Sunday for conversations that preserve history, inspire leadership, and remind us what people are truly capable of when everything is on the line.
