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South Korea had vowed not to have direct talks with Taliban insurgents who have threatened to claim the lives of innocent people to achieve their political purpose, despite their threat to kill 23 South Korean church volunteers being held hostage. Following the killings of two hostages as a result of failed negotiations between Taliban militants and the Afghan government late last month, however, South Korea entered direct contacts with the kidnappers, defying the international policy of not negotiating with terrorists.
After weeks of on-off direct negotiations, the Taliban finally agreed to release all of the hostages in return for Seoul's pledges to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan within this year and prohibit any evangelical activities by South Korean Christian groups in the Islamic country. Under the agreement, three female hostages were freed Wednesday, according to Seoul's Foreign Ministry.
"We are informed that there are no specific problems with their health," ministry spokesman Cho Hee-yong told a press briefing. Cho said the government would continue to work for the safe release of the hostages kidnapped on July 19 on a highway as their bus traveled from Kabul to the southern city of Kandahar in their 10-day relief mission in Afghanistan. Five more captives were released later in the day.
In order to win earlier returns of all the hostages, South Korea plans to speed up its preparation for the pullout of its soldiers from Afghanistan, although the United States has asked South Korea to continue its contribution there. Some 200 South Korean troops are stationed in the war-ravaged nation on humanitarian and rehabilitation operations as part of international coalition forces led by the United States and NATO. The Seoul government has already imposed a ban on all unauthorized travel to Afghanistan by its citizens.
Seoul's presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-seon said the last-minute deal was made as the Taliban backed down on their earlier call for a hostages-for-prisoners deal. The kidnappers had called for the release of Taliban prisoners in exchange for freeing the hostages, but South Korean negotiators have consistently said the demand was "outside their authority and ability," according to Cheon. He said there had been no other Taliban conditions, denying any secret deals with the kidnappers.
The presidential spokesman also said South Korea remains committed to the international anti-terrorism coalition, referring to concerns that the direct deal with the Taliban could undermine U.S.-led anti-terrorism campaigns. South Korea was the only country to make a direct deal with terrorists since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
A foreign diplomat in Seoul, who asked not to be identified, expressed concern that the unprecedented direct deal with kidnappers could weaken international efforts to curb terrorism. "The hostage standoff was largely used by the Taliban to boost its political credibility," he said. But officials said there were no other options but to directly meet kidnappers to save the hostages.
"The most important matter was to save the lives of the kidnapped nationals," Cheon said. "It is a state's obligation to respond flexibly to rescue lives within the scope of international society's principles and customs," he said. "Other countries faced with similar situations also would try to have direct contact with kidnappers," he said. "The Korean government has made efforts to save the lives of the hostages, while abiding by international principles."
The hostage crisis also posed a test to the already weakening alliance between South Korea and the United States, as the standoff was set to revive anti-American sentiment in South Korea. Anti-U.S. civic groups criticized U.S. President George W. Bush for sitting on his hands without paying much attention to the hostage crisis and ignoring pleas from South Korea, which has aligned with the U.S.-led war on terrorism, dispatching troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Some activists and even ruling politicians said the Bush administration should take responsibility for the prolonged hostage crisis. Chung Sang-ryool, a Middle East expert at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, described the Taliban's demand of direct talks with South Korea as aimed at driving a wedge in the U.S.-led alliance in Afghanistan.
