Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Taliban Release Some Hostages, Others Remain

Earlier on Wednesday three women, identified as Ahn Hye-jin, 31, Lee Jung-ran, 33, and 34-year-old Han Ji-young, were handed over to representatives of the Red Cross.

Hours later five more hostages -- four women and one man -- were freed by their Taliban captors in Afghanistan, according to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent.

They were part of an original group of 23 Christian aid workers who were abducted July 19 from a bus by Taliban militants, who later executed two of the South Koreans and freed two others -- leaving 19 in captivity.

The insurgents have said they will free the remaining 11 hostages, whom they are holding in different locations, over the next few days.

On Tuesday, a presidential spokesman said South Korean negotiators in Afghanistan had reached a deal with Taliban militants.
The deal reached effectively eliminates all missionary work inside Afghanistan for the South Koreans, and demands that the South Koreans end their participation in the military efforts to stabilize the country by the end of the year. It's a bad deal all the way around, and gives the Taliban a new weapon to use against the countries participating in the efforts to eliminate the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan.

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