Former French hostage identifies captor in Syria

As reported in 'The Japan News' : Former French hostage identifies captor in Syria September 07, 2014 The Associated Press In this April 20 file photo, released French hostage Nicolas Henin arrives at the Villacoublay military airbase, outside Paris.

The Associated Press PARIS (AP) — A French journalist held hostage for months by extremists in Syria identified one of his captors Saturday as a Frenchman suspected of later killing four at the Brussels Jewish Museum, saying the militant had taken sadistic delight in mistreating prisoners. Nicolas Henin said he often heard Mehdi Nemmouche, who he said was among his captors from July 2013 to December 2013, torturing Syrians who were being held in the same former hospital basement. Once, Henin told reporters, Nemmouche punched him in the face and then showed off his gloves. “He was very proud, telling me ‘You saw these motorcycle gloves? I bought them just for you, to punch you in the face. Did you like them?’ That sums up the violent and provocative personality of Mehdi Nemmouche that I frequently saw,” Henin said. Henin arranged the news conference on Saturday after the information came out in French publications Le Monde and Le Point. He said he was unhappy that it had become public. Henin was held for a time with American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, both beheaded by extremists from the Islamic State group in recent weeks. He was released in April with other French journalists who had been held since June 2013.Speech