Normally the French, as well as most European nations, simply pay a ransom or make a prisoner swap in hostage situations because they are afraid to take military actions against terrorists. For some reason Paris was unable to come to an agreement in the present case. Since the terror group set the end of this month as a deadline, Sarkozy ordered a commando raid at a desert camp in Mali to free him, killing at least six suspected terrorists, but were unable to find their countryman there.

In a recording aired on Al Jazeera, the head of AQIM, Abu Musab Abdul-Wadud said on Sunday they had killed Germaneau in retaliation for the raid.

Earlier in the year, the French successfully negotiated the release of hostage Pierre Camatte after Mali agreed to release four Islamist prisoners.

I should point out that this same group killed British captive Edwin Dyer last year after Britain refused to give in to their demands. However, refusing to deal with terrorists is not enough. Britain should have responded militarily.

I applaud the French for finding their balls and I take back, for now, everything bad I said about them in my post 13 things France this Thursday.