Taliban says not releasing South Korean hostages: report

AFP on Yahoo ^ | 8/11/07 | AFP

[NormsRevenge]

SEOUL (AFP) - Afghanistan's Taliban has decided not to free any of 21 South Korean hostages despite earlier saying two women could go, the Korea's Yonhap news agency reported Sunday citing an insurgents' spokesman.

Yonhap quoted Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi as saying: "Our leaders have changed their minds and decided not to free two female hostages."

South Korean officials refused to confirm the report.

After face-to-face talks between the Taliban and a South Korean delegation, Ahmadi told AFP late Saturday that the two women, who are reported to be ill, were being released unconditionally as a "gesture of goodwill."

The Taliban abducted 23 Christian aid workers in volatile southern Ghazni province on July 19. Two male hostages have been shot dead, and the insurgents have threatened to kill the rest unless captured militants are released from jail in exchange for their lives.

But Kabul, backed by Washington, has refused to accept that demand, fearing it would only encourage more kidnappings.

The government in Seoul, meanwhile, says it is powerless to bring about a prisoner release.

[LeoWindhorse]

The Afghan Gov needs to announce that if every Korean hostage is not released in the next 24 hours EVERY Taliban prisoner will be taken out of where ever they are being kept and publicly executed . Every one ......

and then do just exactly that .

[TAdams8591]

Agreed.

[TAdams8591]

Continuing prayers for all of them and their families.

[Enchante]

THese jackals are merely playing sick mind games with the public and government of South Korea, trying to inflame them more against the USA and civilized humanity.

[expatguy]

I'm sure you understand the difficulty in doing such a thing, I mean that would require a tremendous amount of resolve.

An American Expat in Southeast Asia

[EGPWS]

After face-to-face talks between the Taliban and a South Korean delegation, Ahmadi told AFP late Saturday that the two women, who are reported to be ill, were being released unconditionally as a "gesture of goodwill."

Goodwill and Taliban....

Well known as Synonymous. /sarc

[EQAndyBuzz]

“The government in Seoul, meanwhile, says it is powerless to bring about a prisoner release.”

Not really. Offer to send 2000 special forces ROK soldiers to the region to hunt down and kill anyone that was responsible for the kidnappings.

In the process take out an entire Taliban village.

They will be home in 24 hours.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Agreed, except that there shouldn’t BE any Taliban prisoners. The international remedy for every terrorist should be immediate summary execution (following the a requisite period for “coaxing” intel).