Taliban not decided fate of French hostage-report

ROME, May 3 (Reuters) The Taliban have not yet decided the fate of a French aid worker taken hostage last month and plan to continue targeting foreigners linked to US-led forces in Afghanistan, senior commander Mullah Dadullah said.

He told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera the Taliban wanted to force Afghan President Hamid Karzai openly to swap the hostages for jailed Taliban, something Karzai's government did in March at Rome's request to free an Italian reporter.

That swap was criticised in Afghanistan and abroad for potentially encouraging more kidnappings, and Karzai has ruled out doing it again.

''Our guiding principle is: one of our hostages in return for three (Taliban) in the government's hands. Karzai is ready to do it in secret, but we want it known publicly,'' Dadullah said.

The Taliban last month abducted two French aid workers and three Afghans working for Terre d'Enfance, an agency helping children. One of the French workers was released on Saturday for what Dadullah called ''humanitarian reasons''.

''The French were kidnapped in keeping with our principle that all foreigners linked to the coalition guided by the United States will be hit,'' he said.

Asked whether the Taliban planned to execute the remaining French hostage, Eric, and the Afghans, Dadullah said: ''We have not yet decided what will be the fate of the Frenchman and his three Afghan colleagues.

''But we have asked that some Taliban be released and that French troops leave the country.'' Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo, who was kidnapped in March, was freed after two weeks when Kabul released five senior Taliban prisoners.

But his Afghan driver was beheaded before his release and his translator was also beheaded later when the Afghan government refused a matching deal to free more Taliban.

Dadullah accused them of being spies or having family links to the Afghan government. He denied the Taliban had become a threat to journalists following the killings and kidnappings.

''All the journalists, including the Western ones, can come among us. We only want that they report the situation in a factual and honest way,'' he said, speaking by satellite phone.

''We do not intend to torture or kill real journalists.'' Reuters SG KP1537