THE NEW EXPERTS IN SURRENDER advising the old experts in surrender on how to surrender again:

Spain is providing diplomatic support to secure the release of the two French journalists held hostage in Iraq, Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said on Wednesday.

"We have placed Spain's diplomatic apparatus as well as those of our intelligence services at the disposal of the French government and we are working with them, we are in contact," former EU Middle East envoy Moratinos told Cadena Ser radio.

"We retain the hope that a solution may be found and that they will be freed," Moratinos said, adding that one of the hostages was "a personal friend" who had interviewed him on several occasions.