CAIRO, Egypt, Aug 30, SPA -- French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier appealed Monday for the release of two French journalistsabducted in Baghdad, saying he was in the Middle East toexplain that France was a tolerant nation and not rulingout a trip to the Iraqi capital himself. Barnier, who arrived before dawn Monday after FrenchPresident Jacques Chirac vowed to spare no effort to securethe reporters' freedom, said France is a country thatrespects all religions and human rights and noted thatMuslim leaders in France also had called for thejournalists' release. "I call for their release ... for all these reasons, andespecially because the respect for human life is sacred,"Barnier told reporters at the French Embassy in Cairo,reading a prepared statement. The two reporters _ Christian Chesnot and GeorgesMalbrunot _ were in Iraq "to explain to the world, to bearwitness to the difficult conditions of the Iraqi people,"he said. Barnier said French government officials were going toBaghdad to help the embassy there handle the situation.Asked whether he would go, he said: "Nothing isexcluded."--SPA1314 Local Time 1014 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/196338