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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 5:52 am Post subject: Hostages to be released (!?) |
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http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200708/200708280036.html
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Taliban Agree to Release All Korean Hostages
The Korean government on Tuesday announced that negotiations with Taliban kidnappers for the release of all 19 remaining Korean hostages in Afghanistan were successfully concluded. The announcement came at 8:25 p.m. on the 41st day since the Islamist militants abducted 23 Koreans in the war-ravaged country.
"Negotiators from Korea held talks with Taliban from 5:48 to 7:20 p.m. Korean time,� presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-seon told reporters. �The two sides reached agreement on the release of all 19 Korean hostages on condition that the Korean government withdraws its troops in Afghanistan by the end of this year and bans missionary work by Korean Christians in Afghanistan."
[size="1"]A video grab from a breaking news report of presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-Seon's announcement that the government has reached agreement with Taliban kidnappers for the release of 19 Korean hostages in Afghanistan on Tuesday./Courtesy of YTN[/size]
However, the agreement does not mean the immediate release of the hostages, he said, and the government will negotiate further with the Taliban. �When the hostages are released, we will send them to the Afghan capital of Kabul for medical checkups and take them to Korea as soon as possible," Cheon added.
Asked whether the Taliban set other conditions for the hostages� release such as the freeing of Taliban prisoners, the spokesman said, "The government has persuaded the Taliban that releasing Taliban prisoners is beyond its power. The Taliban appear to understand our point. It also seems that they were inconvenienced by holding as many as 19 people for such a long time." |
Well, great news! Or is it? The piece seems really vague about whether or not the the hostages are actually being released any time soon. The conditions are also the same as what the Korean government had been stating all along... why are the hostage takers changing their minds now?
I hope these people get to come home, but I cringe at the thought of some under-the-table dealings to make it so. |
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oskinny1
Joined: 10 Nov 2006
Location: Right behind you!
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| Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 5:58 am Post subject: |
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I really hope there wasn't any payments made. I won't be happy if my dad gets blown-up from some Korean funded bomb.
If it is all on the up-n-up, great, but that will just mean more missionaries to harass us at the bus stations. |
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Troll_Bait
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: [T]eaching experience doesn't matter much. -Lee Young-chan (pictured)
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 5:46 pm Post subject: |
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| Three thousand Americans, no problem, but 20-or-so Koreans, we can't do it? What a bunch of wussy terrorists. |
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