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| Iraq-Jordan |
| French hostage captors make new demands |
| 2004-09-06 |
| A statement purportedly from the captors of two French journalists has given France a deadline of 48 hours to accept three new conditions. The group, in the name of the Islamic Army in Iraq, demanded a ransom of £2.8m, called for a truce with al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, and a promise of no military and commercial dealings with Iraq. The statement, posted on a Islamist website, could not be immediately authenticated. A group with the same name previously sent videotaped messages to the al Jazeera TV channel showing the two hostages. |
| Posted by:Lux |
| #14 No, that would be the French Proactive Aggrieveds Commission, per Bulldog's earlier suggestion. |
| Posted by: Matt 2004-09-06 8:45:30 PM |
| #13 FTC---French Terrorist Commission |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-09-06 8:39:28 PM |
| #12 You joke (and I laughed) Mrs. D., but I'm sure somewhere in Brussels a Eurocrat is working on plans for a standing commission to arbitrate terrorist demands and ransom terms. |
| Posted by: Classical_Liberal 2004-09-06 8:38:08 PM |
| #11 Article is from UK media, that is why in pounds. I doubt they asked for 2.8 instead of a round number. It's not like they have to justify their pricing to the FTC. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-09-06 8:12:59 PM |
| #10 odd that the terrorists wanted pounds sterling instead of Euros |
| Posted by: mhw 2004-09-06 8:01:02 PM |
| #9 Bulldog: Let them chase the French then, and let Chirac keep paying. We'll track the accounts. Besides, if it helps the French people see the truth, then let Chirac cave in and become even more of a puppet. The French people will vote him out next election then, along with his party. |
| Posted by: Charles 2004-09-06 3:56:24 PM |
| #8 So, stick that up your Chirac! Subway coupon stickers too, damn it. Don't be surprised if vichy French accept the offer. |
| Posted by: Capt America 2004-09-06 3:09:44 PM |
| #7 Exactly as I predicted. ChiraK paid $3M in 1988 to Lebanese terrorists; $5M's about right for 2004 terrorists. Use TotalFinaElf's numbered account in Geneva, Jacky. Route it through Dubai. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-09-06 2:48:46 PM |
| #6 I bet they'll claw back the ransom from the still secret EU Appeasement Fund (hidden for accounting secrecy within the French Cultural Exception Subsidy Plan; subsection Slush). But seriously... Anonymous6326's on the ball: France is so desperate to get its reporters back it's already practically admitted it'll do anything. So what's a little lucrative lubrication to smooth things along? Part of me hopes they do pay. Hostage takers in the ME will be so busy chasing after Frenchies the Brits, Merkins etc. will be ignored. Why waste time on the worthless ones? |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2004-09-06 10:52:09 AM |
| #5 Bogus set-up from the start. Pathetic ploy to gain sympathy for France from the Arab world that has them trembling under the bed. Both reporters will have new yachts for Christmas. |
| Posted by: Anonymous6326 2004-09-06 10:43:51 AM |
| #4 The French cupboard is increasingly bare. Thus the scramble for Libyan terror-dollars and sucking for Iraqi contracts. Knee pads, Chirac? |
| Posted by: .com 2004-09-06 10:18:23 AM |
| #3 I wonder if that includes oil contracts? "Oh, yeah, and Chirac has to return all the bribe money that Saddam paid him!" |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2004-09-06 10:18:08 AM |
| #2 £2.8m ransom? And we Rantburgers were speculating on $10 million? With all intermediateries getting their cut, that does not leave much for the terrorists. Call a truce with Binny (wherever or whatever he is now). No military or commercial dealings is a non-issue. What about the head scarf issue? That one seems to have fallen off the radar screen, based upon this report. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-09-06 10:15:12 AM |
| #1 "and a pony!" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-09-06 10:11:54 AM |