December 30, 2005
And it's still about the good and the bad hostages
It's not the first time. I'm afraid it is not going to be the last.
French Foreign Minister Douste-Blazy seems to think that the kidnapping of some people for some reasons can be motivated. But not of a French citizen in Iraq:
[Foreign Minister] Douste-Blazy asked this morning [Dec. 29] for the liberation without delay of the French hostage in Iraq, Bernard Planche. He reminded that this detention had to reason to be since France has no troops there. Nevertheless, yesterday [Dec. 28] the kidnappers have threatened to kill their hostage if France, precisely, doesn't stop what they call her illegitimate presence in Iraq.
This was France 2's 17-second report about Douste-Blazy's declaration. The official declaration can be found there:
Nothing justifies keeping in captivity Bernard Planche. I'm again asking the kidnappers to free our fellow citizen without delay.Posted by Carine at December 30, 2005 01:43 PMI remind that France is not militarily present in Iraq and that she has always pleaded the case for a complete, restored sovereignty of this country.
We of course remain mobolized to reach this liberation and are in constant contact with the family of Mr. Planche.
The Germans seem to divide "their" hostages up nicely, too (good and better). The former German deputy foreign minister Jürgen Chrobog and his family got snatched the other day visiting Yemen upon invitation of a high government official there - Chrobog was also the German ambassador to the from 1995 to 2001, by the way - ironic that he was the expert-kinda-guy that helped organize the release of German hostages in Mali two years ago. So he's real good. Definitely less good is Susanne Osthoff who nobody can yet figure out here. She's the one who was recently freed in Iraq and refused to come back home (a snappy dresser, too).
I read an article - I think in the London Times - about Susanne Osthoff. It sounded like a Scrapple Face story. She wants to go back to Iraq with her 12 year-old daughter, right?
Posted by: Carine at December 31, 2005 07:58 PMI thought she said she wasn't leaving anyway. Handy for the terrorists, they know her address, routine, etc.
Posted by: Jay at January 2, 2006 03:16 PM
