Chirac makes fresh appeals for hostages

PARIS, Nov. 27 (UPI) -- French President Jacques Chirac has made new pleas for the freedom of two hostages on the 100th day of their captivity in Iraq.

Chirac appealed to the captors to choose "the path of humanism" and free French journalists Georges Malbrunot and Christian Chesnot, the BBC reported Saturday.

They were captured Aug. 20 while driving to the city of Najaf. They reportedly appeared in a video Oct. 3, seeming to be in good health.

Chesnot and Malbrunot are the longest-held Western hostages in Iraq.