Osama tape threatens to kill French hostages
January 21st, 2011 - 9:51 pm ICT by IANSLondon, Jan 21 (IANS) Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has issued a new tape threatening to kill all the French nationals it has kept hostages, if France does not withdraw its troops from Afghanistan.The message said that hostages will be killed if President Nicolas Sarkozy does not withdraw troops from “Muslim lands”, the Daily Mail reported here.
The Al Qaeda has been holding seven people, including five French nationals, in its custody in Niger since September. Two French journalists captured over a year ago are also in their captivity in Afghanistan.
“President Nicolas Sarkozy’s refusal to remove his forces from Afghanistan is nothing but a green light for killing the French hostages,” Bin Laden said in the audio tape.
“But we will not do that at the time that he determines to try and finish off with the repercussions of his position, which will cost him dearly within France and outside of it.”
The audio warned Sarkozy to withdraw troops from “our countries” adding that not doing so would cost the French “inside France and outside”. Bin Laden said: “with its debt and budget deficit (France) does not need new fronts.”
The tape, passed to Arabic news channel al-Jazeera, has not yet been verified.
Bin Laden has warned in an earlier tape Oct 27 that French citizens would be killed to avenge their support for the war in Afghanistan. The French foreign ministry said at the time they believed that tape was authentic.
Earlier this month two French hostages kidnapped in Niger were killed - despite military attempts to rescue them. They were kidnapped by four armed men while eating in a restaurant in Niamey, the Niger capital, Jan 7 before being found dead two days later.
Bin Laden is believed to be hiding in the mountains along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region.
- Al Qaeda releases video of French hostages - Apr 27, 2011
- Paris airport evacuated over suspected explosive - Jan 25, 2011
- France rejects negotiating with Osama bin Laden on Niger hostages - Nov 20, 2010
- Al-Qaeda claims kidnapping seven foreigners in Niger - Sep 22, 2010
- Al Qaeda kills French hostage - Jul 26, 2010
- al-Qaeda leadership confirms Bin Laden is dead, says it will release audio recording - May 06, 2011
- France halts military training in Afghanistan - Jan 21, 2012
- Carla Bruni feared to be on 'Al Qaeda's hit list' - Nov 09, 2010
- Bin Laden says America 'will not dream of security' until Palestine has security - May 09, 2011
- Al-Qaeda holding US aid worker hostage in Pakistan - Dec 02, 2011
- Spanish embassies tighten security after Osama's death - May 04, 2011
- France to withdraw troops from Afghanistan in 2013 - Jan 28, 2012
- Osama death could be 'game changer' for Afghanistan: US - May 07, 2011
- France salutes US tenacity in targetting Osama bin Laden - May 02, 2011
- 73 French soldiers killed in Afghanistan since 2001 - Aug 12, 2011
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