Areva Kidnappings near Arlit, Niger

[priffe]

French to have requested US intel for finding the hostages. Speculation about the coming use of drones.
ENLÈVEMENTS : Des drones américains pour repérer les otages français ?, actualité Monde : Le Point

[Ulrich]

AQIM's claim of abduction occurred in northern Niger evoke the five French hostages, the other two hostages African nationalities were not mentioned. It is hoped that this blackout is a sign they will be promptly released.

Mauritanie-web - AQMI pourrait libérer les deux otages africains

Gogoonisch - E

Ulrich

[priffe]

The seven hostages seen alive, held in Timetrine hills, west of Aguelhoc
Ennahar Online - The hostages are alive, Paris informed
France says willing to negotiate (?)
AQIM kidnap-for-ransom practice: A worrisome challenge to the war against terrorism financing - International Analyst Network

[Chris Scott]

fyi, Timetrine is here.

I recall there was a skirmish or something there with AQIM and Malian army a year or two ago when it was called a village and assumed to be an AQIM base. Until I'd never heard of the place. Quite a few permanent wells, including Timetrine itself, according to the IGN 200k map.

Ch

PS: I think Hague is trying to tell France something.

[Ulrich]

Algiers- The Mauritanian authorities have released 27 Malian smugglers, members of groups of drug traffickers. They have left the central prison in Nouakchott on Monday night. They were delivered to the Malian authorities who in their turn delivered them to the organization of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat GSPC, activating in the Sahel regions, as part of a possible exchange against the French hostages kidnapped on 21 September in Niger.

Ennahar - Mauritania opened negotiations with Abu Zeid

Ulrich

[Chris Scott]

BBC News - Al-Jazeera shows images of al-Qaeda hostages in Niger

Is that Abou Zeid on the far left - as from those vids a few months ago?

Ch

[Richard Washington]

So it doesn't help to be from countries outside the EU, like Togo or Madagascar. At least not initially.

[priffe]

At least they are alive (there was at first rumours of one French killed after resisting), they are together and they are sitting in the shade.
"Aqmi n'a aucun intérêt �* tuer les otages" - leJDD.fr

That would be Abou Zeid on the left, unmasked. His mother is calling for him to come home.
Le chef d'Aqmi supplié par sa mère - leJDD.fr

[Ulrich]

More pictures from the video:









The video by You Tube: YouTube - ‫يوتيوب المجاهدين مؤسسة الأندلس تنظيم القاعدة في بلاد المغرب الإسلامي صور و تسجيل صوتي للأسرى الفرنسيين بالنيجر You Tube Mujahideen‬

Ulrich

P.S.: I'm off for some time, have to fight the tumor in my lungs.

[Chris Scott]

Profile of Daniel Larribe here, one of the engineers with a similar background to M Germaneau. He was warned a few months ago.

There are other links from that page too.

Ch

[priffe]

Sad to read that. There are also rumours (one of many now) that one of the kidnapped was a high ranking officer of the French SS.

Ps - good luck, Ulrich!

[Richard Washington]

Al-Qaeda IM have demanded a repeal of France's ban on Muslim face veils, the release of militants and about €7m to free five French hostages, (Al Arabiya TV on Monday)
Qaeda: Veil ban repeal for hostages: News24: World: News

Interestingly, there is a 1m price on the guys from Madagascar and Togo respectively.

[Caminando]

Originally Posted by Richard Washington

Al-Qaeda IM have demanded a repeal of France's ban on Muslim face veils, the release of militants and about €7m to free five French hostages, (Al Arabiya TV on Monday)
Qaeda: Veil ban repeal for hostages: News24: World: News

Confirmed on France24 on Monday 11 Oct.

[priffe]

This was on El Khabar but then removed
El Khabar

Abu Zeid, also known as Abid Hammadou, who commands one of two squads of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is likely to become the new leader of AQIM after the death of the current leader, namely Abdelmalek Droukdel, alias Abu Musab Abdelouadoud.
“This guy is on the rise,” said Mathieu Guidere, a North African terrorism specialist at the University of Geneva and author of several books on Islamic radicalism.
M.Guidere added that the recent threat of leader of Al-Qaeda Osama Bin Laden against French and European interests, and French ones in particular in the Sahel region, reflects that Bin Laden trust Abu Zeid as a leader.
In this context, the Swiss expert predicts a happy-ending of the French hostage crisis, detained by Abu Zeid in Mali. M. Guidere explained that Islamic Sharia prohibits the execution of hostages in case of the existence of negotiation cannels.
He further indicated that the French hostages are likely to be released by exchanging them with AQIM detainees at Sahel countries, adding that negotiations are to be long.

[Dave The Hat]

Reports that 3 terrorists from Abu Zeids group intercepted near Tamanrasset, destined for North Algeria with funds for Droukdal....apparently had 100,000Euros cash on them.

Ennahar Online - Arrest of a Malian and Mauritanian of Abu Zeid group in Tamanrasset