French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier is heading to the Middle East to co-ordinate efforts to secure the release of two journalists being held in Iraq. The move was announced by President Jacques Chirac after senior French politicians held emergency meetings to discuss their response to the crisis. Arabic TV station al-Jazeera broadcast film of the two Frenchmen on Saturday. It said the group holding them was demanding that France drop its ban on Muslim headscarves in state schools.
The BBC's Angus Roxburgh in Paris says the French government is unlikely to accede to the demand. He adds that there is consternation in France that its citizens have been targeted by Iraqi militants, as the country has been a vocal opponent of the US-led war in Iraq. Mr Chirac said Mr Barnier would "leave immediately for the region to develop the necessary contacts there and co-ordinate the efforts of our representatives on the scene".
The French president called for the release of Radio France Internationale correspondent Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot of Le Figaro newspaper. "Everything's been done and everything will be done in the hours and days to come to make sure that happens," he added. The two journalists disappeared nine days ago. They were reported to have been heading from Baghdad to Najaf. Al-Jazeera reported that it had received footage saying a group calling itself "The Islamic Army in Iraq" - the same group which reportedly killed kidnapped Italian journalist Enzo Baldoni last week - is holding them. The TV station said the group described the French law banning religious apparel in public schools as "an attack on the Islamic religion and personal freedoms". It said the kidnappers wanted France to reverse the ban within 48 hours. |