Bin Laden blames French ‘injustices’ for hostage taking

CAIRO - Osama bin Laden blamed France’s “injustices” towards Muslims for the recent abduction of French citizens by Al Qaeda’s affiliate in North Africa, a media report said Wednesday.

“The taking of your experts in Niger as hostages, while they were being protected by your proxy there, is a reaction to the injustice you are practicing against our Muslim nation,” according to a recording broadcast on the Arabic satellite network al-Jazeera.

A voice reported to be that of the Al Qaeda leader-in-hiding said in the recording that France’s recent ban on face veils was a reason for the abductions last month in Niger of seven foreigners, including five Frenchmen and two Africans working with a construction firm.

“If you unjustly thought that it is your right to prevent free Muslim women from wearing the face veil, is it not our right to expel your invading men and cut their necks?” bin Laden said on the tape.

French troops are in North Africa, working with local governments to combat militant groups, including Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the local offshoot of the global terrorist organisation.

AQIM killed Michel Germaneau, a 78-year-old Frenchmen being held hostage, in July.

“The equation is very clear and simple: as you kill, you will be killed; as you take others hostages, you will be taken hostages; as you waste our security we will waste your security,” the voice on the recording said.

France passed a law last month banning the burqa, or full face veil, in all public places.

A recent report in Arabic media said that AQIM demanded that Paris annul its ban on the burqa, release individuals imprisoned in France and pay nearly $10 million, in return for the captured people.