Iraqis kidnap two journalists
2004-08-28 21:26
Doha - Two French nationals have been taken hostage in Iraq by militants demanding the rescinding of a ban on the Islamic headscarf in French schools, the Arabic satellite news channel Al-Jazeera reported on Saturday.
The men have been named as missing journalists Christian Chesnot of Radio France Internationale, and Georges Malbrunot, of Paris daily Le Figaro.
The kidnappers are from the Islamic Army in Iraq, the same group which killed Italian journalist Enzo Baldoni after taking him hostage.
The group has given Paris a 48-hour ultimatum to meet its demands, the Qatar-based television said citing "our own sources in Iraq".
Al-Jazeera said it had received video footage of the two newsmen, who went missing on Friday of last week as they were headed for the Iraqi Shiite holy city of Najaf from Baghdad.
- AFP