Taliban Release French Aid Worker

Released French woman identified by her first name, Celine cries as she speaks during a press briefing at the French embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan on Saturday, April 28, 2007. The Taliban released a female French aid worker abducted three weeks ago, but said Saturday a French man and three Afghan colleagues will not be freed until French troops leave Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq) (Musadeq Sadeq - AP)

KABUL, Afghanistan -- A French aid worker tearfully thanked the Taliban for releasing her Saturday after more than three weeks in captivity, and pleaded for the freedom of four colleagues still held in southern Afghanistan.

The woman _ so far identified only by her first name, Celine _ was kidnapped in southwestern Nimroz province on April 3 with a French co-worker identified as Eric and three Afghan colleagues who worked for the charity Terre d'Enfance.

"I want to ask them to have pity in the name of their God," she said at the French embassy in Kabul, her voice shaking and barely audible at times. "Eric came like me, to Afghanistan as a friend. Hashim, Rasul and Azrat are Afghans. They are Muslims. They are their brothers. They have children waiting for them."

Wearing a pink shalwar kameez tunic and a black scarf, Celine said in French, "I thank the Taliban for keeping their promise and giving me back my life. I will never forget that they gave me something to eat and drink and treated me with respect."

Purported Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi said Celine was handed over to tribal leaders in the Maywand district of southern Kandahar province.

"Because she is a woman, to make good relations with the French government, we have handed this woman over to Maywand district tribal leaders," Ahmadi told The Associated Press by telephone.

She was given a letter in broken English, which she read prior to her French statement, lashing out at the West for saying the Taliban have "no respect for women rights" and saying that they had treated Celine properly.

"Now we want from French to leave our country, it is our right," the letter said.

French President Jacques Chirac said he was "delighted" by the release.

"Everyone must now redouble the efforts to obtain it for other hostages, with the greatest discretion," he said in a statement released by his office.

Ahmadi said Eric and the three Afghans were still being held, and he reiterated the Taliban's demands for the withdrawal of French troops.

"When the French government withdraws its forces from our country, then we will negotiate the release of this French man and three Afghans as well," he said.