Syrian Certain That French Hostages Will Be Released

Syria’s defense minister said today that he is certain the nine French hostages in Lebanon will be released and that if his government can find them it will use force if necessary to free them.

Mustafa Talas said Syria has negotiated with the group holding the French prisoners but he did not specify which organization he meant. Two extremist groups hold four French hostages each, and no one has claimed responsibility for seizing a ninth Frenchman missing in Lebanon.

“We are not only hopeful but also are certain they will be freed,” he said. His statement about negotiations with the kidnapers came after days of speculation in news reports in France and Lebanon that the release of the hostages was imminent.

In an interview with the radio station Europe-1, Talas said: “If we knew where the French hostages were we would have freed them, even by force.”

The defense minister said the release of the French hostages had been delayed “for a certain amount of time” by “American aggression against Libya and continuing U.S. threats against Syria.”

His reference was to the U.S. air raids April 15 on Tripoli and Benghazi, Libya, and statements that the United States would act against Syria if it had direct proof that Damascus was sponsoring terrorist attacks.

Islamic Jihad, believed to be made up of Shia Muslims loyal to the fundamentalist Iranian regime, has held four French hostages for more than a year and has also claimed to hold five Americans. A group called Revolutionary Justice claimed responsibility for the abduction of a four-man French television crew March 8.