PARIS, Sept. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier and a French Muslim dignitary delegation are still waitingin Amman on Friday evening for the release of the two French journalists held in hostage in Iraq, while confident French authorities called for prudence.

    "We have some positive news but there are some stages to cross.Prudence but confidence," said French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin on Friday afternoon after talking with Barnier on phone.

    The two French journalists are out of danger, and their releaseis just a matter of time, announced earlier Friday in Baghdad Sheikh Abdel Salam al-Qubaysi, leader of the Board of Muslim "Ulama", the most representative organization of the Iraqi Sunnites,according to French radio RFI.

    Barnier is still keeping on contacts and coordination on Fridayevening in Amman for the release of the two journalists, French Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Cecile Pozzo di Borgo said later inthe day.

    A 37-member delegation of the French Council for the Muslim Faith, who headed Thursday for Baghdad, representing 5 million Muslims living in France, to issue a fresh appeal for the journalists' freedom, is also waiting in Amman for the release.

    Barnier had, since the announcement of the hostage taking, met with Arabic authorities in Egypt, Jordan and Qatar, in order to gain a positive result.

    The two journalists, Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot, were reportedly kidnapped on their way from Baghdad to the Iraqi Shiite holy city of Najaf on Aug. 20.

    The kidnappers, calling themselves the Islamic Army of Iraq, demanded Paris revoke a law banning Islamic headscarves in state schools. Despite the threat, France remained firm on the headscarves ban and the French new academic year started smoothly Thursday with the law taking effect as planned. Enditem