A statement purportedly from the captors of two French journalists in Iraq gave France 48 hours on Monday to accept three new conditions — agreeing to a recent truce offer by Osama bin Laden, payment of $5-million ransom and a pledge not to get involved in Iraq.
The Islamic Army of Iraq has decided to make ”the following demands to release the two French hostages”, said a statement signed by the group’s ”higher command” and posted on an Islamist website.
The statement, whose authenticity could not be confirmed, listed the demands as: ”accepting a truce between them and Sheikh Osama bin Laden, paying a $5-million ransom and pledging not to engage militarily and commercially in Iraq”.
”You have a maximum of 48 hours to accept these demands,” the statement said.
In a taped message broadcast by Dubai-based Al-Arabiya television on April 15, Bin Laden offered peace to European countries that refrained from attacks against Muslims and pulled their troops out of the Islamic world within three months.
European leaders promptly dismissed the offer, saying the idea of negotiating with Bin Laden was absurd.
Christian Chesnot of Radio France Internationale, Georges Malbrunot of the daily Le Figaro and their Syrian driver were taken hostage on August 20 by the Islamic Army of Iraq, which demanded that France rescind a ban on Islamic headscarves in state schools.
France refused the demand and implemented the ban last Thursday at the beginning of the new academic year. — Sapa-AFP