Communicating Arts - Main Web SiteMichelle Malkin has posted the faces of the Taliban's 21 South Korean hostages surviving to August 12 [1]. Of those, two have been returned home (and of 23 taken captive in July, two have been killed).
I'm curious today about the fate of the 19 who were, possibly, Out There in Afghanistan digging Koran and yogurt this past week (AKA "How I Spent My Summer Vacation").
In a first interview granted by the two released women, Kim Gi-Na and Kim Kyung-Ja, to Al Jazeera, the two note that another, Lee Ji-Young, volunteered to remain with the Taliban to abet their freedom [2}.
Good. Evidence for the Taliban: Christians know and understand sacrifice too.
That nonetheless leaves information scant on the 19 hostages neither killed nor set free.
About two weeks ago, South Korean and Taliban officials met in Ghazni to negotiate over then 21 captive souls [3]. Apart from the good will gesture releasing two, I wonder what they chatted about: South Korean forces in Afghanistan have provided the coalition with noncombat support services--there's not much to gain for saying goodbye to them; parties actually holding chips and dealing cards haven't changed their game--i.e., there's nothing to negotiate--not that I can tell by Googling; and, as noted on this topic in earlier posts, when you go to get a brother out of jail, it doesn't matter whether you're Christian, Jewish, Moslem, Hindu, Buddhist, Wiccan, or other, settling for money instead will come out looking very bad.
Possibly, the Taliban have dealt themselves their first welfare burden: 19 hostile, albeit sweet, mouths to feed.
Forever.
Ask any American politician what that's like (x tens of thousands), and most will have only this sage advice: "You get used to it."
I shouldn't make light of this most tragic predicament whose real "light" has to do with the fact that "business" was not done swiftly in July and that time melts hearts as often as it hardens them.
We'll see which has happened as the Taliban continue to demand the release of prisoners [4} before all else.
1. Malkin, Michelle. "South Korean Christian Hostage Crisis: Day 24." Michelle Malkin, August 12, 2007.
2. "S Korean aide worker gave up freedom: released hostage." ABC News, August 24, 2007.
3. "S Korean-Taliban hostage talks 'under way'". ABC News, August 11, 2007.
4. "Taliban to resume talks over South Korean hostages." ABC News, August 20, 2007.
Correspondence and Permissions: James S. Oppenheim
Comments