Al-Qaeda says held talks on hostage killed in Sahara
The leader of al-Qaeda's North African wing said in an audio recording the group had been negotiating the release of a hostage it executed last month, contradicting French officials who had said there were no talks.
Michel Germaneau, 78, was killed after a raid in the Sahara desert involving French troops failed to free him. France said it launched the raid because his captors had given no proof he was alive and did not engage in talks on his release. (Reuters)
