By The summit between President Bush and Afghan President Karzai has made it quite clear, he is not giving into terrorist demands:
U.S President George W. Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karazi agreed on Monday morning not to give in to Taliban kidnappers of 23 Koreans in Afghanistan. In a meeting at the U.S. presidential retreat of Camp David in Maryland, the two made it clear there will be no release of Taliban prisoners in return for the freedom of the surviving 21 Korean hostages, White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. “The Taleban are brutal and should not be emboldened by this,” he added.
This is probably joy to the ears of the anti-US groups in Korea. Now all they have to hope for is that the terrorists kill the Korean hostages and then they can really start jumping for joy because they will probably get more traction with their anti-US campaign. Truly disgusting people, but when you are used to making excuses for North Korea making excuses for the Taliban comes easy.
Meanwhile the Taliban continues to want the UN to intervene to set up direct negotiations with the South Korean government, but the UN is unlikely to get involved because they say they don’t deal with terrorist groups. The Africa Union has condemned the Taliban kidnappers as well today if anyone cares because I’m sure the Taliban doesn’t.
The Korean media is beginning to come around with the Joong Ang Ilbo and the Chosun Ilbo releasing editorials bashing the anti-US groups, politicians, and media who are trying to foment anti-US sentiment over the hostage crisis. It is good to see some sanity returning to the Korean media, but we’ll see how long it lasts once the Taliban starts killing more hostages.
...
12:05 am on August 8th, 2007 1
I am glad to see that the korean media is starting to realize what good allies the US has been to the 3rd world countries. In a sign of solidarity to our Korean allies, I chose a korean masseuse at the massage parlor today. Smiles all around!
1:07 am on August 8th, 2007 2
"In a sign of solidarity to our Korean allies, I chose a korean masseuse at the massage parlor today. Smiles all around!"
Not for me though. I'm against prostitution.
1:19 am on August 8th, 2007 3
this is a good one
from the joongang
“The war on terror waged by the United States and the occupation of Afghanistan has given death and pain to the Afghans. Thus, hatred towards foreigners was groomed and the Korean hostage situation occurred,” read the statement.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?a…
this statement infuriates me to the point i want to just (*&W(*$798$^@P(#@_(@#*&^&%@#(*&@#)(*#@)(**(&*#@&$!@^)(@)(*__(@*%&%!&%!%^*&!*&^!*&^!^(*!*(&^!*()!(*)&!*&^@^!@^#
1:35 am on August 8th, 2007 4
A few Korean netizens accuse the White House of hypocrisy, for (supposedly) negotiating for the release of an American hostage. They're probably referring to Jill Carroll, a reporter from Christian Science Monitor. The kidnappers acutally let her go unharmed and she walked into a sunni office. She was forced to praise the terrorists and condemn the occupation in front of the camera before that. The American governmnet never succumbed to terrorist threats.
They might also mistakenly believe that ransom was paid to free Roy Hallum and Douglas Wood. They were both (gasp) rescued.
1:48 am on August 8th, 2007 5
Notice that the Joong Ang Ilbo statement was from the anti-US groups who are all hoping that the hostages are killed in order to promote anti-US sentiment in Korea.
1:58 am on August 8th, 2007 6
"Notice that the Joong Ang Ilbo statement was from the anti-US groups who are all hoping that the hostages are killed in order to promote anti-US sentiment in Korea."
That's sick.
5:42 am on August 8th, 2007 7
I know it is sick but just think these are the same people who would hold up these huge signs of the crushed girls from the 2002 accident at their protests with no regard for the feelings of the families of the deceased girls.
9:58 am on August 8th, 2007 8
It's an outrage if they paraded that image (it is a disturbing sight) around at their protests. It's the most basic sense of human decency mandates that you don't exploit the deceased. Doesn't matter what your agenda is.
Of course I've known Koreans to take up this kind of incendiary approach to incite anger and er, patriotism. But I'm still occasionally struck with awe at their extremist stance on national issues. Not to mention a penchant to spread misinformation The 2002 accident was a hot topic at my church. Some of the girls heard that the American soldiers were driving DRUNK, and fled the scene afterwards.
You should read Korean netizens spew acid at Christianity, blaming it for the current hostage situation. Apparently they're upset about the grasp of "foreign devil" (AKA Jesus) on the Korea. Perhaps the church is to blame, but if so, man is at fault. Pledging your life to mission is different from wasting it.
I find it highly amusing that Koreans express indignation over some aggressive tactics used by Korean Christians (they feel reckless decisions that defy common sense is a Christian characterisctic). Like badgering pedestrians with "go to hell without Jesus" rants. OK, that's fair enough. So…. the Dokdo defenders and hardcore anti Japan / American activists are all Christians, right? Fanatics who chop off fingers and display dead animals on protests, surely none of them are secular Koreans?
OK, so you were annoyed about intrusive evangelists shouting into their megaphones about Jesus. Wasted a couple precious minutes of your life. But holding up images of mangled corpses to exhibit them publicly as murder victims at the hands of America – that's OK! That's not "in your face" at all! I'll bet Koreans aren't willing to disobey ANY law to protect Dok do. LOL
4:56 am on August 9th, 2007 9
I thought that I missed Korea. I was wrong. I saw it in 2002, I don't need to see it again. Perhaps I will take my money to the Philippines this year. They are catholic. It seems a much more Peacefull Religion.
Once before I went there. My "friend" on saturday night, took me to the cave where the people hid from the Japanese, on Sunday morning. I learned a great deal. The statue of the Cross with Jesus on it was at the back of the cave. It was a good day.
9:18 am on August 9th, 2007 10
What South Korea should do is send troops to Afghanistan, seize some Taliban guys, and do a trade. That's the way the KGB did it in Lebanon when Soviet diplomats were kidnapped back in the 1980s. Trading people the Afghanistan government already held for that Italian guy was obviously a mistake — it encouraged the Taliban to try the same thing on a bigger scale. The U.S. doesn't trade for Americans held hostages because a respectable country doesn't allow it's foriegn policy to be dictated by terrorists.