Al-Qaeda says France must negotiate with Bin Laden

A leader of al-Qaeda's North Africa branch said Thursday that future negotiations over the fate of five French hostages snatched from an African mining town must be conducted with terror network leader Osama bin Laden himself.

In an audio excerpt broadcast by the Al-Jazeera news channel, Abu Mossab Abdelouadoud said that to ensure the safety of the hostages, French troops must also withdraw from Afghanistan. (AP)