Posted on 08/30/2007 10:25:05 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Taliban free all Korean hostages
Critics say Seoul may have set a dangerous precedent by dealing with the Taliban [Reuters]
The Taliban's last three South Korean hostages have been handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) after six weeks in captivity.
The man and two women were in a Red Cross vehicle being driven to the town of Ghazni, Irfan Sulejmani, an ICRC official, said late on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, the Taliban had released four South Korean hostages.
Two men and two women were delivered to ICRC representatives by tribal mediators on a road in central Afghanistan's Janda area.
The hostages were "very, very happy and look healthy," Sulejmani said.
Melissa Chan meets the Koreans prepared to risk their lives in the world's most dangerous places
The Taliban had freed 12 South Koreans on Wednesday, handing them over to the ICRC at three separate locations in central Afghanistan.
The group freed Wednesday were in a "safe place" on Thursday, an official in the South Korean embassy in Kabul said, refusing to divulge their whereabouts.
"They are taking a rest. They will be leaving Afghanistan soon," he said on condition of anonymity.
Negotiations
The initial group of 23 South Koreans, who had travelled to Afghanistan to undertake aid work, were seized by the Taliban on July 19 in Ghazni.
The group killed two of the Koreans shortly after the kidnapping, but later it released two women in what it said was a goodwill gesture.
The Taliban began freeing the remaining hostages after an agreement was reached during talks with a visiting delegation from South Korea.
Under the terms of the deal, South Korea agreed to end missionary activities by Christian groups in Afghanistan.
Seoul's small contingent of non-combat troops in the country will also be withdrawn within the year.
The Taliban had initially demanded the release of members held prisoner by the Afghan government but Kabul had refused saying such a move would encourage more kidnappings.
Alan Fisher, reporting for Al Jazeera's from Kabul, said the Koreans released on Thursday would now be given brief medical checks and reunited with their colleagues in the Afghan capital.
The South Korean government has won praise from some quarters for its part in securing the release of the 19 remaining hostages, but critics said Seoul might have set a dangerous precedent in directly negotiating with the Taliban.
There has also been speculation that the South Koreans bought the release of the hostages, though both the Taliban and the South Korean government denied there was any secret deal.
Ransom rumours
Alan Fisher said there had been rumours in the capital that up to $20 million had been paid to secure the release.
"I spoke to one senior Afghan authority who, while not confirming the figure, did say that money was paid - that the South Koreans had paid cash to the Taliban."
The Taliban had already released two Korean hostages as a "goodwill gesture" [EPA] But Qari Mohammad Bashir, a Taliban commander, denied that a ransom had been paid.
"I strongly deny this. It's not true that money was involved," he said.
Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley, reporting from South Korea, said: "Most people here [in Seoul] think that South Korea has probably paid a ransom, but that will be debated later when the hostages have returned home safely."
Meanwhile, the father of one of the men who was killed condemned the church that organised the trip.
"I wonder why the church was so reckless in taking them to the dangerous country," Shim Chin-Pyo, whose 29-year-old son was killed, said.
"They were in the wrong place at the wrong time, moving in such a conspicuous manner." Prior to the kidnapping, South Korea warned its citizens not to travel to Afghanistan and blocked many of its growing legion of evangelical Christians from going there due to safety concerns.
Everything in this story is a BAD idea.
Tiger trust me randsom money was paid OH YEAH
Maybe they threatened to take them down with Korea’s greatest export, Tae Kwon Do.
Paraphrased...
And Satan said, “Cast yourself down that His angels may save you.” And Jesus said, “Get thee behind me Satan, for it is written, thou shalt not tempt the Lord your God.”
Well meaning Christians sometimes put themselves in harms way, and don’t realize they are doing the very thing Jesus refused to do.
I don’t think God is compelled to protect us, if we go out of our way to expose ourselves to danger. And I don’t think governments should be bailing people out for deeds like this either.
Show some judgement people. Don’t put your families and nation on the spot like this.
Sure seems like it to me. Good night...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.