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Europe | ||||
French Journalist Florence Aubenas Freed in Iraq | ||||
2005-06-13 | ||||
That's why it's in the sub-head. PRESIDENT CHIRAC led a national outpouring of relief yesterday after the release of Florence Aubenas, a French journalist, and Hussein Hanoun al-Saadi, her Iraqi assistant, after 157 days of captivity in Iraq. Mme Aubenas, 44, a reporter with Libération, the left-leaning newspaper, ... as if there's any other kind, ... returned to Paris on a French military aircraft last night. M Chirac greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. Eeeew. Looking thin but relaxed, Mme Aubenas recalled being held in a cellar in "difficult conditions", tied up and with little water. She told of being unbound recently and of being allowed to watch French television. She was moved to see a news summary marking her 140th day of captivity. "You're so happy to see that," she said. She provided no information about the identity of her kidnappers and no details about her release. Mm-hmm.
Mr al-Saadi, 42, was driven to his family in Baghdad, where relatives and friends danced and slaughtered a That's just what I do, just as soon as me and 40 of my closest friends fire willy-nilly into the air with automatic weapons. There were suggestions that M Chirac authorised the payment of a ransom to the kidnappers who were holding Mme Aubenas and her guide. Robert Menard, the secretary-general of the press freedom lobby group Reporters Without Borders, said that the hostage-takers had demanded $15 million (£8.3 million) within weeks of the disappearance of the journalist on January 5. However, the French Government denied that a ransom was paid. "There was absolutely no demand for money. No ransom was paid," Jean-François Cope, a spokesman, said. Nothing to see here, move along!
Boy, Italy sure got hosed on the Giuliana Sgrena deal. Bernard Bajolet, the French Ambassador to Iraq, said that the journalist and her assistant, who spent their first night of freedom on Saturday in a secure embassy building, were in good health and high spirits. In France a national campaign, spearheaded by the media, kept "Florence and Hussein", as they were known, in the headlines and the Government under pressure. The DGSE, the French intelligence agency, which led the | ||||
Posted by:ST |
#8 Don't worry, we'll collect from Germany. Meanwhile come and visit our little farm country. |
Posted by: Farmers General 2005-06-13 14:45 |
#7 It must be getting harder for France to contribute to the cause if they have to hide it in a 'hostage' ransom nowdays.... |
Posted by: CrazyFool 2005-06-13 11:54 |
#6 thanks Jacques! New money for IEDs to kill our troops! |
Posted by: Frank G 2005-06-13 10:07 |
#5 In a nutshell this is why France and Italy and Germany and the rest of "old" Europe are dying from a million cuts - one at a time. Its pathetic to watch and some how I think we are going to have to come to the rescue again. |
Posted by: Jack is Back! 2005-06-13 08:59 |
#4 Whell, one ovf our journaleests ees whurth tehn ovf yhoure keeling macheens. Kermit de Frog |
Posted by: Bobby 2005-06-13 08:46 |
#3 She told of being unbound recently and of being allowed to watch French television. And they bitch about us torturing people? |
Posted by: tu3031 2005-06-13 08:33 |
#2 Sacre bleu! We French do not pay off terrorist hostage takers; we pay off misunderstood freedom-fighters. Vous etes tres stupide, Americaine! |
Posted by: Monsieur Flaton-Phew 2005-06-13 03:00 |
#1 A ransom was paid to be sure, anything to make US Soilders bleed and die the French will gladly do. |
Posted by: Sock Puppet 0’ Doom 2005-06-13 02:33 |