And after the meeting she repeated claims that the British and American authorities had not told her everything they knew about his disappearance.

Fabienne Nerac told journalists she had discussed concrete ways of finding out what had happened to her husband during her 40-minute meeting with the president.

Fred Nerac, a 43-year-old cameraman for Britain's ITN television, went missing in southern Iraq on March 22, along with his Lebanese translator Hussein Osman.

They disappeared after coming under fire near Basra, apparently from British or US forces. Veteran ITN correspondent Terry Lloyd was killed in the incident.

"I got the impression Mr Chirac was keen to help me find my husband and get the Americans and British to reveal some information, and that he would alert the Iraqi authorities so they could pass on information to us," she said.

She had told Chirac that evidence provided by ITN suggested that American bullets had been fired at the vehicles.

"It's clear from witness accounts that the Americans and British know something and certainly have something to tell us," she said.

But she was unable to say why they might be holding back such information. "It's a mystery," she said. "I have no answer to that."

Nerac said she hoped her husband was still in a Basra hospital but that the Red Cross had been unable check. Forces loyal to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein are still defending the city from coalition troops.

"I've no news -- perhaps because he's in danger or because he's been captured and can't say anything or simply because the worst has happened," she said.

On Thursday, Nerac revealed she had written to US President George W. Bush in a direct appeal to him to release any information the authorities might have.

She said she had also sought the help of Powell on Thursday during his visit to Brussels and that he had delegated a US diplomat there to act as her direct contact.

SPACE.WIRE