So does France follow the Philippines and appease the terrorists or do they finally show some backbone?

PARIS - The French government prepared for crisis talks Tuesday to save the lives of two journalists held hostage in Iraq (news - web sites), while aides to rebel cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called for the release of the reporters as a deadline set by their kidnappers neared.

Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot were shown on a video released by Al-Jazeera television late Monday pleading, apparently under duress, for President Jacques Chirac to save their lives by giving in to militants' demands to rescind a ban on head scarves in French schools.

The full story is Here.

It is interesting to see that Al-Sadr is trying to get involved. I think that he is trying to set himself as some sort of go between in these hostage situations. Of course the fact that his followers are probably the ones holding the hostages helps.

UPDATE: Wretchard has a great post on this over at Belmont Club