French hostage released in Iraq flies home

PARIS (Reuters) - A French journalist held hostage in Iraq for five months flew to Paris on Sunday after what the French ambassador said had been a dangerous operation to bring her home.Florence Aubenas, 44, was released with her driver, Hussein Hanun al-Saadi, on Saturday. The reporter flew to Cyprus on Sunday where she was met by French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy before boarding a plane to take her to France.
"She looked fine. Very happy to be free and was a bit emotional," said Christodoulos Pashiardis, Under-Secretary to Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos. She left Cyprus at 1255 GMT for Villacoublay airport outside Paris where she was to be welcomed home by President Jacques Chirac.