French hostage in Iraq pleads for help

[ECH1969]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Kidnapped French journalist Florence Aubenas, taken hostage with her driver in Baghdad more than seven weeks ago, has made a desperate appeal for help in a video tape released by Iraqi insurgents.

My name is Florence Aubenas. I'm French. I'm a journalist with Liberation," she said on the undated tape released on Tuesday, speaking in broken English and looking distraught and exhausted.

"My health is very bad. I'm very bad psychologically also," she said, staring at the camera intently. Dressed in a grey sweatshirt and black trousers, she sat with her knees drawn up to her chest in front of a dark red background.

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-03-01T155725Z_01_HOL137761_RTRUKOC_0_IRAQ-FRANCE-JOURNALIST.xml
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Very sad, this reporter has been very anti-occupation and pro-Sunni she went to Iraq to take pictures and reports of the evil acts of the occupation. I hope the Baathist group she was taken by doesn't give her to Zarqawi's group. He buys alot of hostages from other insurgent groups.

[Don Claybrook]

1. Zarqawi buys hostaes from other insurgents?

Wouldn't Zarqawi have to actually exist in order to buy hostages? Where did you read this about Zarqawi buying hostages?

Thanks.

[ECH1969]

2. When Margret Hassan was kidnapped

I remember seeing an interview with an ex-insurgent who said that many of the kidnappings happen by criminals trying to make a buck and if no government or family puts up enough money then they are sold to insurgent groups and that Zarqawi's group gets alot of them that way.

[EFerrari]

3. (Maybe itwas some other dead disabled Arab?) nt