French Hostage Video Emerges

French journalist Florence Aubenas has appeared in a new video pleading for her life. Unlike other hostage videos, no clear demands were reportedly made for her release.

She is described in the video as looking in poor health and her clothing filthy. The one-minute video is in English. Al Jazeera reports Ms. Aubenas as saying:

My name is Florence Aubenas. I'm French. I'm a journalist with Liberation....

Please help me. My health is very bad. I'm very bad psychologically also...

Reuters adds that Aubenas makes a direct plea to French Member of Parliament, Didier Julia, a member of Jacques Chirac's UMP party:

I ask particularly for the help of the French deputy Didier Julia. Help me Mr Julia, help me. It's urgent.

Mr. Julia went on a special mission to Iraq last fall in an effort to free two other French journalists, Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot. The two were eventually freed, reportedly for ransom.

Because Florence Aubenas comes from a country that opposed the war in Iraq, it is presumed that her captors are simply seeking ransom. Common criminals and terrorist groups have resorted to hostage taking as a way of funding their activities in Iraq.

(Image: AFP)

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