Today's Date:

Statement made by Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Prime Minister, to the National Assembly .

Paris, January 31, 2005

The disappearance of Florence Aubenas and Hussein Hanoun is on the minds of President Chirac, myself and the government every day.

In Paris and Baghdad we have put in place a system allowing us permanently to monitor the situation and take all the appropriate steps.

The information we have gathered and our analysis of it lead us to believe that we are in a markedly different situation from the one we experienced with Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot. And you will understand that I can’t say any more on this today, in order to protect Florence Aubenas and Hussein Hanoun’s safety.

I shall continue to keep you informed through the President of the National Assembly and your representatives whom I shall be meeting next week.

But, right now, my thoughts go to Florence Aubenas and Hussein Hanoun and their families. We are doing everything that has to be done to get them back with us very soon./.