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An Austrian held hostage by Iraqi militants could be released within 24 hours, local radio reported on Wednesday, quoting the leader of Australia’s Muslims, Sheikh Taj al-Din al-I-Hilali.
   A journalist for Australia’s SBS Arabic radio service, Majida Abboud-Saab, said Sheik al-Hilali, in Iraq to try to free 63-year-old Donglas Wood, had told her he had spoken to a man who said he represented the militants holding the engineer.
   "They said that they were willing to release Donglas Wood," Abboud-Saab told Southern Cross Broad- casting on Wednesday.
   "They are not placing any conditions on his release. Sheikh Taj al-Din al-Hilali is very convinced and he is very optimistic and he is very happy about the fact that they have agreed to release Douglas."
   Australia’s Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has said that Wood, who is married to an American, may have been kidnapped two days before a two-minute video was delivered to news agencies on May 1.