De Villepin unable to confirm pledge on French hostages
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PARIS, Sept 19  - French Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin said Sunday he could not confirm the authenticity of a statement attributed to the Islamic Army in Iraq saying it was releasing two French hostages, but Prime Minister Jean-Pierre
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A purported statement by Iraqi militants  holding two French journalists hostage demanded a $5 million  ransom on Monday and set a 48-hour deadline.
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French President Jacques Chirac appealed for unity Tuesday, as a bungled attempt to rescue two French hostages in Iraq sparked a growing controversy that some fear could hurt efforts to get the men freed.
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France scrambled to secure the release of  two French journalists kidnapped by Iraqi militants who gave  Paris until Monday evening to drop its controversial ban on  Muslim headscarves in schools.
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French Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin said Sunday he could not confirm the authenticity of a statement attributed to the Islamic Army in Iraq saying it was releasing two French hostages, but Prime ...
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France said it could not confirm a report   on Saturday that al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had died in   Pakistan last month.
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The French Government has held crisis talks on the fate of two French journalists held hostage in Iraq amid growing uncertainty over whether their kidnappers have demanded a ransom.
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France scrambled to secure the freedom of two French journalists kidnapped by Iraqi militants who gave Paris until Monday evening to drop its controversial ban on Muslim headscarves in schools.
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PARIS The French government vowed on Monday that it would not yield to demands from militants holding two French journalists hostage in Iraq that Paris withdraw a ban on Islamic head scarves in public schools.
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DUBAI/PARIS  - The French government held crisis  talks on the fate of two French journalists held hostage in  Iraq Wednesday amid growing uncertainty over whether their  kidnappers had demanded a ransom and two-day deadline.
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President Jacques Chirac has vowed to spare no effort to free two French reporters held hostage in Iraq by militants who are reportedly demanding that France overturn its law banning Islamic head scarves in ...
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French secret service agents on Thursday  debriefed two French journalists after their release from a  four-month hostage ordeal in Iraq, as a political storm raged  over a botched freelance attempt to free the men.
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The French government remains hopeful about the fate of two its nationals held hostage in Iraq but does not want to jeopardise their release by talking about it too much, an official said today.
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BAGHDAD : 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&#39;s government continued efforts to end the chaos prevailing in the country.
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PARIS : French President Jacques Chirac slammed a private initiative to secure the release of two French hostages in Iraq as &quot;interference&quot;, while the freelance effort appeared to have flopped.
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France pressed on with efforts to save two French journalists held hostage in Iraq on Thursday after a deadline to rescind a law banning Muslim headscarves in state schools passed without word from the kidnappers.
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France says it still hopes two French hostages in Iraq will be freed, although its foreign minister has returned from a Middle East mission empty-handed without securing their release.