Taliban Must Free Remaining Hostages Unconditionally
People breathed a sigh of relief after the Taliban freed two female hostages Monday, who were among the 23 South Korean Christian aid workers kidnapped in Afghanistan. The captors killed two male abductees after the Afghan government refused to accept their demand for swapping Taliban prisoners for the captives.
In this situation, the release comes as good news to the country which has been in grief and distress over the hostage crisis since the July 19 kidnapping of the volunteers. Families of the remaining 19 captives _ 14 women and five men _ hope that the Taliban will set free all of the hostages soon. The Seoul government managed to obtain the freedom of the two hostages three days after it began direct negotiations with the militants.
Optimists see the Taliban's action as a sign of their opting for a negotiated solution. However, it is too early to expect the rebels to release the rest of the abductees soon because they still cling to the prisoner-for-hostage swap formula. The purported Taliban spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahmadi said they freed the two female hostages unconditionally as a ``gesture of goodwill.'' But, he then urged the Afghan government to fulfill its responsibility and accept their demand for the release of their prisoners.
Ghazni Gov. Marajudin Pathan immediately ruled out a prisoner swap. In short, the Kabul government and the Taliban have shown no fundamental change in their position. Therefore, the Korean negotiators plan to resume their face-to-face talks with the captors to persuade them to let the abductees go.
The Seoul officials are apparently back again at the starting point in dealing with the Taliban's demand for their prisoners' release. The negotiators will have no choice but to tell the kidnappers that it is not the Korean government but the Afghan authorities that have the power to set free imprisoned Taliban fighters.
Pessimists pointed out that the release of the two abductees did not come from a gesture of goodwill as the Taliban claimed. They said the release is a carefully calculated move to assuage the rising outcry from Islamic countries and the international community over the Taliban's taking of women hostages. The insurgents apparently intend to take the initiative in the ongoing negotiations. Therefore, they are likely to apply more pressure to the Seoul officials to realize their goal of securing the freedom of their fighters held in Afghan jails.
Against this backdrop, the Korean officials are feared to face tougher negotiations with the Taliban, while the hostage case is developing into a drawn-out crisis. They will have to take more a flexible approach toward talks with the captors in order to discourage them from going to extremes. They also must persuade the militants to refrain from putting forward excessive demands, while ensuring the safety of the remaining hostages.
It still remains to be seen whether the Roh Moo-hyun administration will succeed in negotiations to help the abductees return home safely. This is one of the most difficult tests for President Roh since he was inaugurated in February 2003.
1 | Guide to Chuseok celebrations across Korea |
![[INTERVIEW] Risk-averse culture is forcing daring creators to flee showbiz](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/fb7596db1256425b9ccd448392d51be8.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] With '30 Days,' Kang Ha-neul finds new level of comfort in acting](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/83a5770de8d8420da3634fb8b78266c1.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] ONEUS returns as 'mermaid prince'](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/8cc3b8d992cd4b8bb43395b014670ca2.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
