Paris Payment for 2 Hostages in Beirut Told

PARIS — France won the release of two French hostages in Beirut after making political concessions to Iran and paying the kidnapers the equivalent of $2.3 million, the newspaper Liberation reported today.

Premier Jacques Chirac said only state-to-state negotiations were involved in gaining the June 20 release of Philippe Rochot and Georges Hansen, two members of a four-man French Antenne 2 television crew that was abducted in Beirut on March 8. Crew members Aurel Cornea and Jean-Louis Normandin remain missing.

However, today’s report in the leftist Liberation said the government negotiated with the kidnapers through two Lebanese Shia businessmen in Ivory Coast and later through Chirac’s chief of staff, Michel Roussin.

Liberation also carried a statement by Roussin saying its story was not true.

Ivory Coast Visit

Shortly after taking office, Chirac made a visit to Ivory Coast for talks with President Felix Houphouet-Boigny. According to Liberation, he also met with Lebanese businessmen Nagib Zaher and Ibrahim Baroud.

The two businessmen were able to contact the kidnapers, Liberation said, and four days later the premier’s office received brief letters from the four hostages, which proved that the contact was good.

For that, the government paid an initial payment of 5 million Lebanese pounds, or about $77,000, the newspaper said.