AFGHANISTAN: Ghazni governor calls for more talks to resolve hostage crisis, but military say they are ready for action if necessary

Ghazni's governor says efforts underway to set up talks between Taliban and South Korean negotiators. Promises to guarantee safety of Taliban if necessary. A South Korean delegation has arrived in the Afghan province of Ghazni where 21 Koreans are being held hostage by the Taliban. They want to hold direct talks with the kidnappers and peacefully end the two-week old ordeal. The Taliban have killed two of the 23 Koreans originally taken hostage and have threatened to kill the rest if their demands for the release of Taliban prisoners are not met. The Taliban have insisted on direct talks with the Koreans, but Seoul has no power to free prisoners from Afghan jails. Ghazni provincial governor Mirajuddin Pathan told reporters talks were underway to decide the venue and set up of the meeting. The Afghan government has refused to give in to the demand over prisoners, saying that would only encourage further abductions. South Korea and the United States, which has more than 20,000 troops in Afghanistan, agreed not to use force to free the hostages, but Afghan troops have warned villagers of a possible offensive in the area where the captives are held. Deputy interior minister Monir Mangal said the Afghan government wanted to solve the hostage issue through negotiations, understanding and dialogue. But he added: "Our military resources to solve this issue are ready and will be ready according to our plans at any time if needed". The Taliban are engaged in a campaign of ambushes, suicide bombings and hit-and-run attacks aimed at demonstrating to ordinary Afghans that their government and its Western backers are incapable of providing them with much-needed security. But Pattan promised that any Taliban who came for talks would be safe. "We will a hundred percent guarantee their safety," he said. Seoul has called for "flexibility", a comment analysts say is directed at the United States to sway the Afghan government to strike a deal with the kidnappers.

ITN Source | August 3, 2007

Tags:. .News Archive. .told. .possible. .ready. .demonstrating