French hostages 'alive'
2004-09-02 16:50
Baghdad - A French Muslim group voiced confidence on Thursday that two French journalists held hostage in Iraq would be freed as France pursued diplomatic efforts to save the lives of the men.
But three Turkish hostages in Iraq were reportedly killed by their kidnappers in a jarring reminder of the high stakes for the journalists - Le Figaro reporter Georges Malbrunot and Radio France correspondent Christian Chesnot.
A deadline for France to revoke a controversial ban introduced on Thursday on the Islamic headscarf in state schools has passed with no word from the self-styled Islamic Army of Iraq which seized Chesnot and Malbrunot on August 20.
On an urgent mission, a delegation from the French Council for the Muslim Faith (CFCM) flew in to Baghdad and pronounced its optimism after holding talks with influential religious leaders.
"We leave with confidence and full of hope," delegation chief Abdullah Zekhri said.
"The kidnappers wish to free them, but they do not know how to do it because they are afraid about the Americans and also that the hostages could fall into the hands of another group.
"These are the obstacles to freeing them."
"We have received proof that they are alive and well. We are optimistic and confident they will be released soon," added CFCM vice-president CFCM Mohamed Bichari.
The flurry of activity came as Arabic-language satellite television Al-Jazeera said it had a video showing the execution of three Turkish hostages in Iraq.
Police and medical officers in Iraq told AFP that the bullet-riddled bodies of three Turkish drivers had been found on the roadside outside the rebel bastion of Samarra north of Baghdad, possibly the hostages.
Another member of the French Muslim delegation, Fouad Allaoui, also sounded upbeat after talks with the influential Council of the Muslim ulema (scholars), an association of conservative Sunni clerics who have helped mediate previous hostage releases in Iraq.
"There are many reasons to be confident and not the contrary. Our mission is finished and I believe it was not in vain."
A member of the delegation told Le Figaro the visit showed their solidarity to the French state despite the controversy over the head scarves ban.
"We want to show our attachment to the republic, to the nation and to French society.
"Everyone must understand that laying a hand on a member of French society affects all French people, all members of the Muslim community," Mohammed Bechari told the newspaper.
The hostages warned in a video that they faced death if France did not revoke the headscarf law, but Paris has vowed to stand its ground saying it must protect the country's strictly secular traditions.