BERLIN, Jan 27 (SPA) -- Two Germans held hostage in Iraq appeared in a video on Friday urging their government to help secure their release and Germany's foreign minister vowed to do everything in his power to free the men. The recording, aired by Arabic news broadcaster Al Jazeera, showed the pair with masked gunmen standing behind them. Their voices were inaudible, but Al Jazeera said the video, which had a time stamp of Jan. 24, the day of their abduction, showed the two men urging Berlin to help secure their release. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters that the Al Jazeera footage was "devastating". "The German government will do everything it can to free the two men," he said. "We will act level-headedly. That I can promise on behalf of the government. We renew our appeal for the men to be released immediately." --SPA 14 26 Local Time 11 26 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/321598