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French hostages appear on AQIM tape

PARIS, April 27 (UPI) -- French foreign policy isn't determined by terrorists, a French official said after four hostages were heard calling for an end to conflict in Afghanistan.

A purported al-Qaida video surfaced that shows what are thought to be four Frenchmen kidnapped by al-Qaida in Niger in September. The hostages are heard saying over a still image that France needs to end its involvement in the war in Afghanistan, the BBC reports.

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Laurent Wauquiez, the French secretary of state for European affairs, said French policy wasn't influenced by terrorists.

"The first thing we need to do is analyze the video and notably make sure it proves the hostages are alive," he was quoted by the BBC as saying. "Secondly, we're doing everything, and I mean everything we can, to get the hostages released. As you can imagine, French foreign policy is not dictated by hostage-takers."

Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, the group behind the hostage taking, demanded a $131 million ransom for their release.

Abdelmalek Droukdel, the reported head of AQIM, said in an audio message broadcast by al-Jazeera in November that Paris should pull out of Afghanistan to save the lives of the hostages.

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Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden issued a similar message in an audio message from October, calling on Frances to pull its troops from Afghanistan and stop meddling in African affairs.

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