Two French hostages released

The French government announced yesterday the release of its two journalists Christian Shino and George Malbrono, who were kidnapped in Iraq in August.

The French Prime minister Jan Pierre Rafran said before the French Senate that he can confirm with a happy feeling "the release of the two journalists," noting that "our happiness will be complete when they return back safe to the homeland." The spokesman for the French foreign ministry Herve Ladso said the two journalists were handed over to the French authorities and will return back to Paris today.

Earlier news reports said that the Islamic army groups in Iraq announced in a statement the release of the two journalists and handed them over to the French embassy in Baghdad. The statement read that the two journalists were released "after it was proved they were not spying for the American forces and in response to the calls and appeals of Islamic commissions and establishments and in appreciation of the French government regarding the Iraqi question and the stand of the two journalists from the Palestinian issue."

The speaker of the European parliament welcomed the release of the two French journalists. He said in a statement "the European parliament share happiness with the families of the two journalists and hail the efforts of the French authorities."