By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
Criticism has been mounting over the parliamentary delegation's hasty visit to Washington to request the U.S. to seek a proactive role in resolving the hostage standoff in Afghanistan.
Those who are in opposition to the delegation's foreign policy trip pointed the finger at the ill preparedness of the visit.
The lawmakers failed to set up meetings with key decision makers in the U.S. before their leaving mainly due to the short time frame.
As some of high-ranking government officials and Congressmen and women in the U.S. are known to be out of town, the trip is highly likely to prove futile, the opponents said.
The delegation is composed of eight lawmakers from four parties including four floor leaders.
Before leaving Seoul, they said their goal is to ask the lawmakers, decision makers, and experts of think tanks in Washington to help create a positive atmosphere in favor of the Korean hostages.
The lawmakers have reportedly troubled the diplomats of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade because the ministry officials had to take on the demanding job of arranging several meetings with the U.S. Congressmen and women in such a short time frame.
Sources said it is almost impossible to arrange several meetings with these people in the Congress in a day.
A staff of the International Affairs Bureau of the National Assembly told The Korea Times that the delegation has met one lawmaker of the U.S. Congress, an expert working with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs R. Nicholas Burns so far.
The bureau is assisting the delegation's activities in Washington.
The staff said the bureau was unable to verify the details of the delegation team's schedule because their efforts to communicate with the team in Washington were unsuccessful.
Those who sympathize the delegation' position said that the decision came at a time when the lives of the remaining 21 hostages were under serious threat.
``As the situation in Afghanistan changes rapidly hour by hour, we decided to act first because the lives of our citizens are at stake,'' said Rep. Kim Choong-whan of the Grand National Party (GNP). One lawmaker who joined the trip said in an interview that they will figure out how their decision turned out.
Kim admitted the delegation team members had no idea if they could meet the leaders in Washington but will try anyhow because that seemed to be the only option they could take.
Floor leaders of the political parties released a statement urging the U.S. and Afghanistan governments and the United Nations to take on a proactive role in resolving the hostage standoff in Afghanistan.
After releasing the joint declaration, these lawmakers told reporters that they planned to leave for Washington to press decision makers there to help solve the hostage problem.