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France: Hostages still alive a few days ago
France said on Sunday two French reporters held hostage with their Syrian driver in Iraq were still alive a few days ago.
"We are working discreetly, following up leads, reestablishing contacts when they have been established ... We know they were alive a few days ago," Foreign Minister Michel Barner told France's LCI television.
"We are continuing to work for their freedom."
Journalists Georges Malbrunot, who reports for Le Figaro daily, and Christian Chesnot who works for Radio France International were kidnapped with their driver on Aug. 20.
Barnier said France had had indirect dialogue with the kidnappers at regular intervals between Sept. 18 and 29.
"(Since then) we have still not had direct contact, that does not exist, but people who speak to us all tell us separately the same thing, that is, that there is a likelihood ... the three hostages will be freed," he said.
He said the hostage-takers all came from "extremely scattered groups," all with different motives.
"I am simply asking that we should be able to keep working as we have to in such circumstances: discreetly," he said.
The kidnapping of the journalists stunned France, which opposed the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Paris mobilized a wide front of Arab leaders and Muslim figures to call for their release but this did not bring them freedom and initial hopes gave way to growing caution.
Efforts by two freelance mediators, one a parliamentarian, also failed to secure their release last month.
The effort by Didier Julia, a deputy in the governing UMP party, fractured a national consensus over the hostage crisis, and deeply embarrassed the government. Political unity on the crisis has since been restored. |
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