France pays hefty price tag for hostages' release

France paid millions of dollars for the release of three journalists kidnapped in Iraq, reporter Roger Auque told Afrique Magazine.

He said that - despite official denials - the Government had paid 5 million ($9 million) to free Liberation newspaper's Florence Aubenas and her Iraqi interpreter in June. Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot were released last December for 2 million.