Two French journalists freed in Iraq have arrived back in Paris after having spent four months as hostages.
Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot were flown into a military airbase just outside Paris, where they were greeted by their families as well as by the French President, Jacques Chirac.
The two spoke of their happiness at being home, but they were also critical of a French politician who was behind an earlier failed attempt at negotiating their release.
Earlier, the French government said it did not pay a ransom to secure the release of two journalists.
The French Prime Minister, Jean Pierre Raffarin, also said negotiations with the hostage takers had always been conducted through intermediaries.
