U.S. accused of disrupting talks on French hostages

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/world/9595926.htm

BY TOM HUNDLEY

Chicago Tribune


PARIS - (KRT) - Amid reports Monday that Iraqi militants holding two French journalists have increased their demands, new strains between France and the U.S. emerged with allegations in the French news media that an American-backed offensive by Iraqi security forces has derailed the hostage talks at a critical moment.

In a front-page story, Le Monde, the leading French daily, reported that a weekend attack by U.S. and Iraqi forces on the town of Latifiya, about 20 miles south of Baghdad, was obstructing negotiations for the release of the Frenchmen.

"I do not know if the Americans chose this day on purpose to intervene, but this has created a climate of general panic at a time when the hostage-takers are seeking guarantees for their safety," Hisham Najim al-Dulaimi told the newspaper.

Al-Dulaimi, head of an organization of 16,000 sheiks and clan leaders, has been involved in several hostage negotiations. He said negotiations for the freedom of the journalists had proceeded smoothly though Friday evening but that contact with the hostage-takers had now broken off.

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[savistocate]

1. Really good source--So Carolina,

great find. Knocks down that minimal biased critical response too.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

2. Another display of the regime's brilliant foreign policy.

4 more wars.