French journalist found dead in Yemen

SANAA, Yemen - January 2, 2012 (WPVI) -- A French journalist was found strangled with an electrical wire in his hotel room in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Monday, security officials said.

The dead man was tied to the bed when his body was discovered. The security officials declined to identify him or given any motive for the killing and they spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The hotel, Al-Maali, is near the presidential palace in an area controlled by Yemen's Republican Guard, an elite force commanded by the son of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The guards have been battling renegade troops and armed tribesmen in Sanaa for months as Saleh tries to cling to power in the face of a popular uprising demanding he step down and stand trial.

A hotel worker, who did not want to be named because he feared reprisals, said the victim checked into the hotel about five days ago.

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france, yemen, national/world

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