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Europe |
France paid US$8 million ransom for kidnapped journos |
2005-08-02 |
![]() Officers in DGSE foreign intelligence service "have identified the abductors and the place they had been held", said the journalist, who has written a book about his own captivity at the hands of Hezbollah. "In the basement of the DGSE in Paris the cellphone numbers of the abductors and their photos are stuck on a wall next to a map of Iraq," he said. "Kidnappers never say at the start that they want money. They prefer to depict themselves as a political or religious movement. Then they make it understood that all that costs a lot of money and that financial help would be welcome. A figure is then suggested," he told the magazine. |
Posted by:trailing wife |
#4 Well atleast they know which country to blackmail for some big pay offs...but that cash goes directly against our servicemen. |
Posted by: DEEK 2005-08-02 15:39 |
#3 In light of the new threats the frech terror alert system has upgraded the terror threat level from run to hide and all french citizens have been told to "leave your money and women on your front porch and get to your pre-arranged hiding spot quick." |
Posted by: bigjim-ky 2005-08-02 14:07 |
#2 what better way for Chirac and others to pay them their extortion or blackmail fees without having to even worry about that pesky money trail? |
Posted by: 2b 2005-08-02 07:53 |
#1 Though I don't know well his work (he's written a book about this subject), in his media appearances Roger Auque has struck me as a non-idiotarian. This is certainly credible, though some others sources have mentioned higher sums ($15 millions was asked for Florence Aubenas, according to Reporters without borders). Check this http://trans-int.blogspot.com/2005/06/ransom-and-terror-in-iraq.html for the linkage between (supposed, none was acknowledged) ransom deliveries for french journalists and upsurges in Iraq terror : very revealing! |
Posted by: anonymous5089 2005-08-02 07:42 |