Barnier: we do hope for the release of the two French hostages shortly

The French foreign minister Michael Barnier said yesterday that he hopes the two French hostages in Iraq will be released shortly but he urged caution towards the most recent report indicating their nearby release.

Barnieh told the LCA channel "I still hope their release is possible.. there were rumors on that for more two months and therefore I will be very careful." He repeated that France is working behind the scenes to release the two hostages and that contacts have been resumed with their kidnappers. He added "after the resumption of calm, we continue work patiently and seriously because it is one of the requirements to maintain their safety." On the other hand, hundreds of Iraqi disabled who receive aids from "Care" humanitarian organization demonstrated in Baghdad yesterday demanding the release of the President of the organization Margaret Hassan.

The disabled, many of them on the wheelchairs, raised Margaret's pictures and banners reading "we do love Margaret and she loves us." Another banner read "Margaret is not the British government."