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| China-Japan-Koreas | |
| South Korea: Taliban May Keep Hostages for Months | |
| 2007-08-03 | |
| KABUL_ Despite telephonic talks between the Taliban and the Korean delegation, no progress was made in talks to release the 21 Korean hostages and there was no indication that some breakthrough was in sight Friday. Taliban spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahamdi told The Korea Times that the Taliban and Korean negotiators are seeking to find a suitable place for a face-to-face talks. Asked for how long they intended keeping the women if the negotiations did not work, the spokesman said they could keep them for months and years in their custody. He said the Korean side did not ask for direct talks. It was the Taliban who offered direct negotiations. `` If they are ready for direct talks, our representatives are there and we have no problem in that,'' he added. The Barbary Coast racket - hostages, slavery, ransom, brutal incarceration ... it's worked like a charm for 1400 years. The Taliban continued threatening to kill the hostages unless their demands in the exchange deal are met. Standard MO ``Medical assistance and treatment will be of no use if we later kill them,'' Ahamdi said when asked about the health condition of the hostages. ``Killing even the women is not a problem with us.'' How ... Eichman-like. Mohammed Atta and his crew sat in their first-class seats as mothers, infants, and grandparents walked past them during boarding. I bet Ahamdi does a killer Reinhard Heydrich.
After awhile, even the SKors will figure this one out, and then Ahamdi is will be whistling a different tune. Ahmadi also denied some reports that some female Korean hostages had been shifted to bordering areas of Pakistan. ``Why should we need to shift them to Pakistan when we have a vast area under our control,'' he said. Some newspapers and wire services, quoting sources from Kabul, reported that three female hostages have been shifted to the border areas of Pakistan, located close to the province of Paktika, which borders Ghazni. Ahamdi scoffed at such reports. However, he said that they were distributed in groups of twos and threes and were under the control of different commanders in areas, which are under Taliban, control. He spent a lot of time on the phone, didn't he?. Asked if some hostages had been moved to Paktika province, the spokesman replied that they were in Afghanistan and would not be moved to any other area which is out of their control. Regarding he health condition of the hostages, he said 16 of them were sick, mostly suffering from dehydration and intestinal disorders. He said at least two of the women were seriously ill. A day earlier, a team of Afghan doctors offered to provide medical assistance to the Koreans. Asked about the offer, the spokesman said those who want to see the Koreans alive must press the Afghan government for the release of prisoners. Meanwhile, the U.S. government said that it does not rule out use of force to free the Korean hostages. Richard Boucher, the assistant U.S. secretary of state for South and Central Asia, directly mentioned ``military action'' as one of options to pressure the Taliban militants. ``All pressures need to be applied to the Taliban to get them to release these hostages,'' Boucher said. ``There are things that we say, things that others say, things that are done and said within Afghan society, as well as potential military pressures.'' Boucher's remarks run counter to Foreign Minister Song Min-soon's agreement with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte Thursday that Seoul and Washington agreed to rule out any military operation to rescue the hostages. Song reconfirmed the non-use of force with Negroponte on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila. Concerns were raised when Afghan army units handed out leaflets Wednesday, warning civilians to move to safer areas in preparation of operation in Ghazni Province where the Taliban kidnapped the Koreans. But no military operation has been confirmed yet. A group of Korean lawmakers met with political leaders in Washington to urge the United States to help end the hostage crisis. But the United States showed again its firm position that they will not accept any demands by the terrorists because acceptances could encouraged them to kidnap more innocent people. The Afghan government reiterated that it cannot accept the swap deal for fear of international criticism. Regarding the U.S. role, presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-seon said the United States is actively cooperating with Korea for the release of the hostages. The Taliban have already killed two male hostages, the leader of the Christian aid group Rev. Bae Hyung-kyu, 42, on July 25 and Shim Sung-min, 29, on July 30. It's what the Taliban do: murder unarmed, innocent people while threatening to kill more. | |
| Posted by:mrp |
| #4 The problem is that the United States is trying to fight a humane, sanitary war. There ain't no such thing. The purpose of war is to impose your will in such a way the enemy surrenders. We're not even CLOSE to doing that. Until we are, we're wasting our time and resources. End of story. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-08-03 16:33 |
| #3 Start cooking the Pashtuns in the NWFP with napalm until the Koreans are released. Broadcast to the Pashtuns that they will be punished for anything the Taliban do in Afghanistan, since they provide logistic support and safe haven for the talibunnies. Keep it up until one of two things happen: the Koreans are released, or the Pashtun in the NWFP turn against the talibunnies. I believe the initial response will be seething and gnashing of teeth, followed by panic, followed by the dismemberment of the taliban. The problem is that the United States is trying to fight a humane, sanitary war. There ain't no such thing. The purpose of war is to impose your will in such a way the enemy surrenders. We're not even CLOSE to doing that. Until we are, we're wasting our time and resources. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2007-08-03 16:20 |
| #2 Well, the taliban have proven to be worthless in fighting NATO. They HAVE to go for the soft targets now. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2007-08-03 12:19 |
| #1 Go right ahead. Any prolongation of this evil crapfest stands just that much better a chance to polarize South Korean opinion against America's enemies. No matter how well they can manipulate the media, Muslims remain permanently stuck on stupid. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-08-03 12:04 |