The weeklong ordeal surrounding the 23 Korean hostages held captive by Taliban militias turned horrible Wednesday, as one Korean was killed. It’s chilling that the worst possible scenario has already become a reality.
Killing an innocent civilian is the most heinous of crimes and can never be justified under any circumstances. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the victim, Rev. Bae Hyung-kyu, and his bereaved family members. The nation, however, can hardly afford to be gripped with anger and grief for long. Grave danger still looms over the lives of the remaining 22, left to grieve in desperation over the cruel execution of their leader.
The situation is in a current state of chaos, with no clear resolve in the immediate future. There are hosts of conflicting reports from competing foreign media outlets, such as those on the partial release of eight captives and other issues. Even the insurgents’ professed motives have changed, from the withdrawal of 200 Korean troops to ransoms and to the release of Taliban prisoners. This may be mainly because there are ``doves’’ and ``hawks’’ among abductors, who have divided and held the hostages possibly in several groups, and thus they do not have a singular command structure or a well-informed spokesperson. This dilapidated chain of command hardly offers any comfort.
With that in mind, we are now aware of the Korean government’s brewing dilemma, as negotiations get all the more difficult. Particularly if what the Taliban wants is the liberation of jailed guerillas, there is almost nothing Seoul can do except plead with Kabul and other allied governments for help. It is regretful in this regard that Afghan officials are largely sticking to hardened principles, refusing to exchange prisoners for hostages. Furthermore, the U.S. holding its ground as Washington maintains a non-interventionist stance.
Admittedly, Seoul _ and the aid workers for that matter _ is hardly free from blame for the ongoing crisis. Pacifist civic groups here have long warned against troop dispatch, even though they are medics and engineers, to a country where all foreign forces are regarded as either occupiers or meddlers. The Taliban in particular, having revived its forces while the United States focused on Iraq, has obstructed reconstruction and relief activities to retrieve power from the U.S.-backed government. Incomprehensible against this backdrop were the volunteers’ audacious and seemingly careless acts as well as Protestant church’s undue missionary zeal abroad.
Still, it is not right time to be engaged in an idle blame game. Of utmost urgency is the safe return of 22 hostages. Especially, local cyber warriors need to refrain from their regrettable and irresponsible outbursts of cynicism, disparaging hostages and provoking captors.
The Taliban should stop exploiting precious lives of innocent civilians at least not in the name of their God, who preached love and brotherhood. The Afghan and U.S. governments ought to extend their best cooperation, while never putting hostages at risk with reckless rescue attempts. More importantly, Seoul should continue at all costs by conducting negotiations in an omni directional diplomacy.
One ultimatum after another is slipping by. Someone should stop the time bomb that refuses to stop ticking.