Free Republic

Two French journalists held hostage in Iraq have urged their government to lift a ban on Muslim headscarves in schools to save their lives. The men also called on French people to protest against the law, set to come into force this week, in a new video shown on Arabic TV station al-Jazeera. The latest video emerged as a deadline set by their captors for the rescinding of the law was apparently extended. Hours earlier thousands held rallies across France to support the hostages. Al-Jazeera reported that the kidnappers had added 24 hours to a deadline to kill the two...

DOHA, Qatar The pan-Arab news network Al-Jazeera on Monday called for the release of two French hostages held captive in Iraq. In a statement, the channel condemned "all acts that threaten the safety and security of journalists, and put them at risk of losing their lives or falling victim of kidnapping, as well as other restrictive measures." While the statement did not specifically mention the two French journalists held hostage in Iraq, the channel's spokesman, Jihad Ballout, said Al-Jazeera was referring to them. "Within the context of our position, we believe that the journalists currently held hostage should be immediately...

BAGHDAD (AFP) - The clock was ticking down for two French hostages whose Islamist abductors have served Paris with an ultimatum to lift a ban on Muslim headscarves in schools, while Iraq's government continued efforts to end the chaos prevailing in the country. The US military held consultations overnight with the office of firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr to defuse a bloody crisis in the Baghdad slum of Sadr City. According to Sadr City police chief Colonel Maaruf Alami, a ten-point proposal aimed at defusing the brewing crisis was handed to Sadr officials by Iraqi National Security Adviser Muwafaq al-Rubaie....

DUBAI (Reuters) - An Iraqi militant group has kidnapped two French citizens and is demanding the French government end a ban on Muslim headscarves to free them, Arabic television station Al Jazeera said Saturday. The channel, quoting unidentified sources, named the group as the Islamic Army of Iraq (news - web sites). It gave no further details.