Taliban Get Ransom Via 3rd Country

By Emal Pashtunyar

Special to Korea Times

KABUL _ Despite denials by Seoul, those involved with the negotiation process for the release of the Korean citizens say a ransom has saved the lives of the remaining 19 hostages.

A source privy to the talks between the two sides told The Korea Times that the issue of a prisoners' swap, the first demand by the Taliban, was shelved after President Hamid Karzai's return from his three-day visit to the United States early this month.

Before Karzai's visit to the United States , said the source, the prisoners' swap was an option and the two sides as well as the Afghan government were deliberating on that.

Till his (Karzai's) visit to US and his meeting with President Bush, the Afghan officials were indecisive about what to do in response to the Taliban demand regarding the release of prisoners.

However, the source said, the Kabuo government came out with a categorical stance after Karzai's return and rejected any deal with the Taliban on a prisoners' swap.

Referring to some statements by Ghazni Governor Merajuddin Patan, the source said the governor and his office were issuing conflicting statements before the presidential trip.

At one time, the governor had told journalists that they had received a list of eight prisoners from the Taliban and they were considering their release to ensure safety of the Korean hostages.

The governor had also said that they had received names of people who did not belong to Ghazni province and they had asked the Taliban to give them an amended list of prisoners who belong only to Ghazni province.

The source, who did not want to be identified due to the sensitivities involved, said although he did not know about the exact ransom amount, the Taliban had demanded $10 million in the initial stage.

He said after the Afghan government's refusal to entertain the Taliban demand regarding the prisoners' swap, the two sides (Koreans and Taliban) engaged in ransom talks and the delay in release of the captives was caused because the Taliban wanted guarantees and the Korean side wanted scaling down of the demanded amount.

``Being among the mediators, I can tell you that the ransom amount given to the Taliban is round about $2 million," he said. The mediator rejected claims by a Taliban commander that they had received $20 million. He said he believed the amount is too much.

``They have been freed for only $2 million," he opined.

However, the Taliban commander, who wished to remain anonymous, told this correspondent over the telephone that they had received $20 million from the Korean delegation. He said the amount was paid after guarantees from a third country.

The commander said the third country was involved on the request of the Taliban so that the Korean side honor their commitment. He said the amount was paid to a party nominated by the Taliban.

However, the Korean government denied payment of ransom and said the Taliban agreed to release the hostages after assurances that the Korean troops will leave the country by the end of the current year and missionaries coming from Korea will cease.

In the face of criticism from some countries, Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon Saturday said: ``We have to remind you that innocent people were kidnapped and two of them were killed. We tried our best to keep international norm(s) and practices."

Cheong Wa Dae and Kim Man-bok, director of the National Intelligence Agency also denied the payment of ransom.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahmadi also denied payment of a ransom. He said the withdrawal of Korean troops from Afghanistan was their principled stand, which was accepted. He said the prisoners' release was out of the authority of the Korean government and was set aside by the Taliban.

Asked about mediation by some foreign government in the deal, the spokesman said they needed some guarantees, which were given to them. He said they had demanded involvement of a Muslim country to ensure respect for the agreement by the other side.

This is not the first time that the Taliban have taken a ransom for safe release of abducted foreigners. In March, the militants had received a huge sum from the Italian government for the release of Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo. They had also forced the Afghan government to release five prisoners. The deal was widely criticized at a national and an international level.

Before that, another Italian photojournalist Gabrille Torsello was kidnapped and was released only after payment of huge amount in ransom by the Italian government. In both cases, the exact amount could not be disclosed but it was revealed that huge sums were received by the Taliban for the release of the two journalists.