The French hostages are safe, being treated well, and likely to get released, Le Figaro is reporting. I was pretty sure this would be the outcome a few days back. Too many Islamist groups (including some pretty radical ones) are keen to propagate the absurd myth that a nation's non-involvement in Iraq provides its citizen's security from fanatical Islamist terror (the 'ol UBL 'divide and conquer' strategy--Spain's behaving, Italy next!).
Or, put differently--Iraq first; headscarves later...
So, let's just say, a full court press to get these two French journalists sprung has been going on overtime--including by some pretty nefarious actors. While I truly rejoice for these two hostages (assuming they do make it)--I suspect that many in France (and Spain, Italy etc) will draw the wrong lesson (stay out of Iraq; and--voila--Islamist terror averted).
Put differently, Sully's hoped for French awakening, of sorts, ain't gonna happen.
And then there's this beaut from the (French language) article. A member of a French Muslim delegation (that traveled to Iraq to try to gain the hostages release) states:
Nous repartons avec confiance et beaucoup d'espoir. Il y a une volonté des ravisseurs de les libérer mais ils ne savent pas comment le faire, car ils ont peur des Américains. C'est le principal obstacle à leur libération.
Translation: "We leave with confidence and much hope. There is a willingness by the kidnappers to free them [the hostages] but they don't know how to do it, because they are scared of the Americans. It's the principal obstacle to their being released."
Hey, it America's fault! Mais bien sur....
You can't make this stuff up, can you?