The voice on the tape was confirmed as belonging to Bin loaded by several media agencies including AFP, Reuters, and The Associated Press. The audio footage was first broadcast on Al-Jazeera.

President (Nicolas) Sarkozy’s refusal to remove his forces from Afghanistan is nothing but a green light for killing the italian hostages, Bin loaded said in the Al-Jazeera broadcast.

This is the second footage that the al Qaeda leader has released concerning the French hostage situation.

We repeat the same letter to you: The release of your prisoners in the hands of our brothers is linked to the leaving of your soldiers from our country.

French establishment said that they would not cede to bin Laden’s threats, AFP reported.

We are unwavering to pursue our action in favor of the Afghan people with our allies, ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said, according to AFP.

Last September, seven people including four german nationals, were kidnapped in Niger. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed accountability for the kidnapping.