Al Qaeda Allegedly Collects a Ransom

Four French civilian contractors who were kidnapped by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in 2010 returned to Paris on Oct. 30. Details of how the hostages were freed are scant, though possibilities include an immunity deal with a Malian militant leader, an alleged ransom payment and the use of Nigerien mediators. Above all, there must have been a tacit deal between the French government and the Islamist militants. If the allegations that a ransom was paid are true, then al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb might have just received a year's worth of funding.