Free Republic

PARIS - Two sons of la France profonde, in love with Arab culture and language, Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot, venture onto the high roads of Occupied Iraq, are captured on August 20 by the resistance, endure four months of captivity, with in the words of Mr. Malbrunot, Cartesian serenity, are liberated on December 22, in time to spend Christmas with their families. The French reporters and their Syrian chauffeur-interpreter Mohamed Al Jundi were kidnapped and held for two weeks on the same farm near Latifiya where the Italian journalist Enzo Baldoni was slaughtered August 26. Mr. Al Jundi, separated...

CAIRO, Egypt - Kidnappers of two French journalists in Iraq praised France's "positive steps toward the Iraqi people" Tuesday, a sign that the hostage-takers may be softening their position. In a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press in Cairo and also posted on a discussion board of the Iraq Islamic Army, the group said it hoped "this is a beginning for a new era of understanding our issues and respect of our constants." However, the statement did not refer to the French captives, journalists Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot. The group, which claimed the kidnapping of the Frenchman in previous...