What will they ask for the three Spanish volunteers also in their power?
Al-Qaida’s North Africa offshoot demanded the release of four of its members in exchange for a French hostage it kidnapped two months ago, in a message posted on militant Web sites Monday that gave a 20 day deadline.Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb said that their only condition for the freeing of Pierre Camatte is the release of four members of the group arrested by Mali several months ago.
“We give France and Mali 20 days from the date of issuing this statement to respond to our legitimate demand otherwise the two governments will be fully responsible for the French hostage’s life,” it said in a statement dated Sunday.
The group announced last month its kidnapping of Camatte in Mali Nov. 25 and three Spaniards in Mauritania five days later.
… The group has not yet set conditions for the release of the three Spaniards who had been travelling at the tail end of a convoy distributing aid to poor villages along the coast of Mauritania when they were abducted.
In its earlier statement, the group said the kidnapping was in retaliation for “the Crusaders’ war against Muslims and Islam everywhere and the killing of innocent people and occupying their lands.”
[...] same terrorist group that abducted 3 Spanish-Catalan volunteers in Mauritania and has threatened to kill a French volunteer, if their demands are not [...]