taliban ‘Seoul Offered to Build Hospitals in Afghanistan’
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
South Korea made a promise to the Taliban to build five hospitals in the southwestern region of Afghanistan bordering with Pakistan, in return for the release of 19 Korean hostages, a report said Monday.
The report came amid a flurry of local and foreign news reports that Seoul had paid a huge ransom to the Islamic militant group to save the lives of the Christian missionary team kidnapped July 19, while traveling on a bus from Kabul to southern Kandahar.
Quoting an unidentified government source privy to the hostage crisis, the Munhwa Ilbo newspaper said South Korean negotiators made the verbal promise to build five small hospitals in southern Afghanistan in face-to-face talks with Taliban insurgents. Indonesia guaranteed the deal, it said.
``That (southern) region is governed by pro-Taliban Pashtun tribes, and leaders of tribes asked for the building of hospitals,'' the source was quoted as saying. ``While most Islamic countries were reluctant to be involved in the deal, Indonesia participated in the Korea-Taliban talks as an observer to guarantee the deal.''
The source said Seoul had sent a special envoy to notify the United States of the deal.
Other government officials, however, dismissed the report.
``It is impossible realistically to build hospitals in a region of conflict in another country. I haven't heard that such a deal was made,'' a government officials said, requesting to remain anonymous.
Despite denials by Korean government officials, Korean and foreign news media have raised suspicion about a ransom paid by Seoul to the Taliban.
An informed Afghan source told The Korea Times Sunday that the Taliban had received about $2 million with guarantees made by a third country.
Reuters reported that Seoul paid the Taliban more than $20 million.