Friday, August 31, 2007

South Koreans leave Afghanistan after hostage ordeal | Reuters

South Koreans leave Afghanistan after hostage ordeal | Reuters:
"KABUL (Reuters) - Nineteen newly-freed South Korean hostages flew out of the Afghan capital on Friday after a six-week kidnap drama following a deal with Taliban insurgents critics fear could spur more abductions.

The South Korean Christian volunteers, part of a group of 23 missionaries kidnapped in southeast Afghanistan in mid-July, left Kabul on a chartered United Nations plane bound for Dubai en route to Seoul, a Korean embassy official said."
We can rejoice with the former hostages and their families, and mourn with them for the two men murdered early in this chain of events.

I fear that the Taliban, having gotten away with terror, will continue these tactics. This Reuters dispatch notes that the South Korean government is denying Afghan claims that a ransom was paid. It's bad enough negotiating with kidnappers and murders, but adding financial gain to the mix can only aggravate things.

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