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WORLD / Asia-Pacific
No progress in Taliban-SKorea talks
(AP)
Updated: 2007-08-16 23:28
GHAZNI, Afghanistan - Taliban militants held a second round of
face-to-face talks with South Korean officials on the fate of 19 captive
church volunteers Thursday but there was no word of a breakthrough.
Relatives of South Koreans kidnapped in Afghanistan watch the UCC or User
Created Content, made by themselves, for help of the safe return of the
kidnapped South Koreans in Afghanistan, in Sungnam, south of Seoul, South
Korea, Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007.[AP]
Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi said the South Korean delegation
told militant negotiators they cannot free eight Taliban prisoners held
by Afghan authorities - a key Taliban demand.
Ahmadi said that Taliban leadership would soon decide whether to continue
with the negotiations.
South Korean officials were not immediately available for comment.
The two sides talked for three hours at the offices of Afghan Red
Crescent in Ghazni. The International Committee of the Red Cross helped
facilitate the talks.
The Taliban left after the talks on ICRC vehicles, without speaking to
reporters.
The talks come after the release on Monday of two women who were among 23
South Koreans kidnapped by the militants on July 19 as they were
traveling by bus from Kabul to the former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar.
The kidnappers have killed two male hostages. Fourteen women and five men
are still being held.
Two militant representatives held two rounds of face-to-face talks with
South Korean officials Friday and Saturday at the Red Crescent office
after the Afghan government agreed to guarantee the safety of the
militant delegation.
The Taliban want South Korean officials to pressure the Afghan government
to free the imprisoned militants and will not harm the rest of the
hostages while the talks are ongoing, Ahmadi said.
The Afghan government was heavily criticized in March for freeing five
Taliban prisoners to win the release of an Italian journalist, and have
ruled out any further such deals, saying they would encourage more
kidnappings.
Ahmadi said the release of the two women was a show of goodwill. South
Korean officials have called for the unconditional release of the rest of
the hostages, while also calling on Afghan authorities to show
flexibility.
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