21.  French pilots are among those state employees whose rancor will not easily be assuaged before the World Cup.

22.  France has asked the International Committee of the Red Cross to help search for two French pilots shot down over Bosnia almost three weeks ago.

23.  French Defense Minister Charles Millon urged Bosnian Serbs on Sunday to release two French pilots held since their plane was shot down nearly four months ago.

24.  French pilots tortured by serbs, endured mock execution.

25.  France on Thursday reported three failed attempts with NATO to rescue two French pilots shot down by the Serbs in Bosnia during the recent NATO bombing campaign.

26.  He also implied that Serbs would use two captured French combat pilots as leverage in gaining support from France.

27.  Immediate problems in Bosnia included the fate of two French pilots being held captive by the Bosnian Serbs, Solana said.

28.  In Paris, preparations for signing were under way despite a dispute between France and Bosnian Serbs over two missing French pilots shot down in August in Serb territory.

29.  Milosevic did not comment after meeting with Holbrooke about the French pilots.

30.  Milutinovic confirmed Friday that two French pilots shot down by the Bosnian Serbs were safe but said their exact whereabouts remained a mystery.