Released German woman urges to withdraw troops from Afghanistan

A German woman released after 155 held hostage by insurgent group said that if German authorities should withdraw troops from Afghanistan or else her son "will be slaughtered."

Hannelore Krause, 61, made her comments to the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya television after she was release Tuesday. Krause, and her adult son, Sinan, disappeared in Iraq on Feb. 6.

"They kidnapped me and my son, and we are German citizens. I call the Germans to leave Afghanistan and that the Germany army withdraws from Afghanistan. If they don't respond to this demand, my son will be slaughtered," Krause, who spoke in Germany, said, according to an Arabic translation voiceover.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters that the mother is now at the German Embassy in Baghdad, but said he could give no details of how she was released.

An official at the German Embassy in Baghdad refused to comment on the release or confirm Krause was at the mission.

The mother and son were shown twice in videos released by an insurgent group calling itself "Arrows of Righteousness," which first claimed to have snatched the two on March 10.

"I would like to thank the Arrows of Righteousness for the good treatment that I received when I was with them. I also wish and beg the same group to release my son and don't mistreat him," said Krause, whose hair was covered with a headscarf.

"I want to confirm that Muslims are peaceful people and the Germans are in countries that are not theirs," she said.

Germany, which opposed the war in Iraq and has no troops there, has some 3,000 soldiers serving in NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan - largely in the relatively calm north.