Pave rarely posts breaking news:

AMERICA: "C'EST RIEN"
France: "Ouais, Ouais"

According to a 1:30P Fox News report this afternoon, French hostage -- pardon, surprised guest of Arab gentlemen -- Bernard Planche, who was under threat of death -- pardon, extreme minacious hospitality -- has been rescued by American soldiers -- pardon, illegal and illegitimate occupiers (Abu Ghraib!) -- in Iraq -- pardon, quagmire.

France continues to point out she has no military in Iraq, that Arab gentlemen have nothing to fear from her, that war of the sort conducted by America is illegitimate and illegal, and the Allies' war in Iraq -- aside from liberation, free elections, constitutional government, equality before the law, the rule of law, and the prospect of a better life -- won't solve anything.

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, however, said France is always ready to make allowances for opportunisitc civilian kidnappings, murders, decapitations, bombings, and unchecked violence when undertaken by old friends or the friends of old friends in a ginned-up nationalist cause. M. le Ministre pointed out these unfortunate actions were nonetheless necessary to equalize the Arab gentlemen's natural disadvantage at the ballot box.

Oh, France, you're welcome.

PFFT (What is this?): Freeing up ransom for the banlieues 4 | Rayonnement français 0

A little payback for the French Foreign Legion picking up stranded US citizens out of Liberia and Ivory Coast and cleaning up your mess in Somalia. Besides, it's not like US troops were actively looking for the hostage as your post suggests, is it?

Having said that, thanks for making his escape possible and not shooting him in the process.

Thanks but no thanks actually.

The bloke set himself free from his captors when he realised he was being unwatched. The tricky bit in this evasion, was not so much the escape in itself but rather how to avoid getting shot at by trigger happy US troops, when approching them.

When it comes to rescuing hostages, the Americans have hardly been of any help at all in Iraq, more like the other way round, almost killing an Italian one, who had just been released.

Besides, it's not like US troops were actively looking for the hostage...

Considering the comments by you two, which, I think is representive of most French citizens (and most who live there in the suburbs who are not French citizens) why should our trigger happy troops spend any time at all looking for French hostages?

But I bet I would be wrong. I bet that 99.9% of US soldiers (and French soliders with NATO troops) would be concerned about the safety of any hostages. The army folks are just different than you and I.