France sets firm stand on captives
398647
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.
692372
France remained hopeful on Sunday that  two French hostages in Iraq would be freed and a religious  fatwa issued in Iraq demanded their release.
770347
PARIS - France vowed Monday to press ahead with a controversial law banning Islamic head scarves in schools, despite demands by militants holding two French journalists hostage in Iraq that Paris revoke the legislation.    Government spokesman Jean-Francois Cope told Canal Plus television France would not compromise its values to win the release of the journalists, Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot...
445097
A senior French official called here for patience and discretion as efforts continued to secure the release of two French journalists held hostage in Iraq.
669819
PARIS, France -- The French government says it still hopes two journalists held hostage in Iraq will be freed but that it does not want to put at risk their release by talking about the issue too much.
457795
PARIS - As France awaited word on two journalists being held hostage in Iraq, officials made clear that they expected to benefit from their stand against the US-led invasion and occupation.
301888
As France awaited word on two journalists being held hostage in Iraq, officials made clear that they expected to benefit from their stand against the U.S.-led invasion and occupation.
147354
PARIS  - France will not revoke a law banning Muslim head scarves in public schools despite demands by a militant Islamic group holding two French journalists hostage in Iraq, a government spokesman said Monday.
135564
French critics and defenders of a ban on Muslim headscarves in schools united in support of the law on Monday, pledging to stand firm against militants holding two French journalists hostage in Iraq who want the law scrapped.
240875
A French Muslim delegation in Iraq said Thursday they had proof that two French hostages held by Islamic militants were alive, even though France refused to lift a ban on Muslim headscarves as the school year began.
242424
PARIS, Sep 8  (IPS) - The two French journalists kidnapped in Iraq more  than three weeks back are still in  captivity despite efforts by  French and Iraqi leaders to secure their freedom.
267171
Hopes of a swift end to the French  hostage crisis rose early Friday, after the Le Figaro newspaper  that employs one of the two captives said the men were now  being held by Iraqi guerrillas willing to negotiate their  release.
77638
The French government has indicated that it intends to stand firm on its decision to ban the wearing of headscarves by Muslim girls in state schools.
425334
PARIS, Aug 30  - The French government said on Monday it planned to go ahead with the introduction this week of a ban on Islamic headscarves and other religious insignia in schools, despite an ultimatum from extremists holding two French journalists
597745
France remained hopeful on Sunday that two French hostages in Iraq would be freed and a religious fatwa issued in Iraq demanded their release.
570792
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.
19601
The captors of two French journalists allegedly put forward new demands for their release, but French officials cast doubt on the authenticity of the demands and remained cautiously optimistic about securing their release.