There has been few developments since the release of the two female hostages as the crisis enters its 36th day. The only big changes has been how this crisis is receiving little media attention as the negotiations drag on. The biggest recent news was the statements made to the media by the two released hostages calling for the release of the remaining hostages:
Kim Kyung-ja and Kim Gina, clad in hospital gowns, said they hoped for the early release of the remaining captives. The interview was aired during an English-language news program at 8 p.m. (KST). The two are currently at a military hospital in Seoul for medical treatment.
Kim Gina said that the two have not been able to sleep due to their concerns for their colleagues still held captive, even though they were happy to meet their families again. “We hope the remaining hostages are released and reunite with their beloved families as soon as possible.”
Kim Kyung-ja added, “My heart is aching for the people who remain.”
They also revealed that one of the hostages Lee Ji-young gave up her chance to be released so someone else could go because she felt she had more experience living in Afghanistan.
Offensive operations against the Taliban in the area where the hostages were taken are continuing and the Taliban spokesman that has been continuously addressing the media has been shot. Let’s hope a whole lot more of these Taliban scum have been shot as well.
The Hankyoreh is reporting that the Taliban expects the South Korean government to fail in their attempts at a prisoner swap and that the negotiators are hoping that the Taliban will release the hostages as a goodwill gesture during Ramadan. I have a feeling that Ramadan will provide the cover the Taliban needs to release the hostages for the large ransom payment the Koreans are offering. The Taliban are a criminal mafia, but they like to play themselves off as being pious Muslims, however kidnapping for money is not Islamic but criminal. Over Ramadan the Korean negotiators can secretly pay off the Taliban and the Taliban can in turn claim that they released the hostages over Ramadan because they are good Muslims. The key to this is how secretly the Korean government can payoff the Taliban. Ramadan starts on September 13th and runs through October 12th. Look for the release of the hostages during this time frame.
Meanwhile a Muslim extremist in New York City of all places has declared that the Koreans are “terrorists” that need to be beheaded:
American Muslim convert and New York City native Yousef al-Khattab outdoes himself and compares the Korean hostages to “terrorists” and suggests that because they are guilty of the “crime” of trying to convert Muslim children that they are worthy of Daniel Pearl’s death–beheading.
The Korean hostages did a lot of stupid things that I have chronicled on this blog, but none of them is worthy of the beheading this guy wants to have happen to them. I’m willing to bet this guy was a loser is whole life, just like John Walk Lindh, before converting Islam to act like the tough guy he thinks he is. Correction, he wasn’t a loser his whole life; he still is a loser.
Finally, Michelle Malkin has continued her postings following the hostage crisis and has posted a video time line of the crisis:
6:16 pm on August 25th, 2007 1
I guess the only thing left is for how long will Koreans walking all over the Earth, will have a huge “Kidnap me” sign on their back, if the ROK pays the hostage takers.
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6:49 pm on August 25th, 2007 2
It’s simple. The Lord will provide. Why worry about it?
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2:28 am on August 27th, 2007 3
Hello there,
I feel the frustration in your articles. I wanted to let you know, just as every Korean is on a terrorist, neither does every American have that opinion of Koreans.
I am a fellow Christian American that prays for our Christian Korean brothers and sisters held captive by the Taliban.
Our body continually pray for them and their suffering for Christ.
Sincerely,
Tom
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7:13 am on August 27th, 2007 4
[...] I said before, I suspect a deal has been done and the hostages will be released over Ramadan. The Taliban does [...]
11:09 pm on August 27th, 2007 5
Tom,
Thank you for your kind words. Maybe God is the only thing that can turn americans and koreans real allies, if not in politic at least in faith.
Laporte,
I`m still trying to find out the reason why you hate so much the hostages. Is it because they are koreans? is it because they are christians? or both? I think you hate koreans because you lost your girlfriend to a korean guy, right? hahaha !!!
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10:33 am on August 28th, 2007 6
Dr. Yu,
I think Leon is voicing frustration at the situation on a couple of different issues.
As Christians actively spreading the word of God, they should have faith that the god they are promoting will deliver them to safety or bring them into His kingdom. The end result will be His will… and trying to interfere with His will through negotiations or concessions is unnecessary, fruitless or even heretical. Christians who fear death, especially missionaries, have little credibility.
Which leads to the next point.
When this group went to proselytize to a hostile and unwilling audience, they spoke of their God and his infinite power. With little planning or precautions, they relied on God to take care of them. But, once forsaken, everyone stopped praying humbly to God and started making big demands of the United States. America: World Police becomes America: World Deity.
So the deal is this:
Right or wrong, America has difficult and complex things to do in Afghanistan. Americans want to see some measure of success. Unnecessary complications or demands are very, very unwelcome both on a national and personal level. Expectations that America will happily drop everything to assist a group of people who have caused their own problems, or expecting Americans to feel positive about this, are unrealistic.
And, the options are limited. Prisoners are released to kill again, money is paid to equip future killers and encourage future kidnapping or the hostages are killed and America gets blamed for inaction. What is there not to hate? How can anyone speak positively of the people responsible for creating this situation?
Further, on a military-based blog, there is an awareness that any American operation to rescue the hostages will be done on the kidnappers’ terms with many limitations on the planners of the mission. Nobody has quite come out and said it but there is probably a general feeling that a single soldier’s life is worth much more than several bus loads of God’s lambs wondering around in wolf country.
Maybe these people are hated because they are Koreans who have forced Korea to make unnecessary and counter-productive demands on America. Maybe they are hated because they are Christians who seem to have higher expectation from America than God.
But probably they are just hated because they are causing problems that nobody needs or wants.
J!
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9:23 am on August 29th, 2007 7
ChickenHead,
Thank you for your comment.
God’s actions are carried out by angels or by humans. This mean that depending on the case, God uses humans (and the government also) to fulfill his desire. Maybe the angels were busy this time so he decided to leave to humans to solve the problem of the hostages.
Regarding the USA, I personnally don’t blame your country for anything, since korea knew the risk of supporting the USA when decided to send troops to Afghanistan. Korea also knew that USA would never negotiate with terrorist should korean people be taken hostages.
You are right, it is unfair to demand your country to deal with the talebans, when you would never do so even if americans were kidnaped, and I understand when you regard american soldiers’s life more important that of the korean people. There is nothing wrong about it. It is natural. Koreans would think the same way about americans (I’m not being cynical).
But if anything wrong had happen to the hostages you would had to be prepared for the consequences it would cause in the korea-usa relationship. It is also natural and you (USA) would had to “pay” for the consequence of envolving korea in this war. You know, korean people would never “forgive” USA for causing death of korean soldiers and people.
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10:02 am on August 29th, 2007 8
Dr. Yu,
Right on. It is now being claimed the hostages will be released. Islamic kidnappers are not known for their kindness so I’m guessing that secret money was paid. I’m curious how this will affect Koreans overseas. There are an increasing number of Korean students studying English in Islamic Malaysia (as parents catch on to the fact that drinking and whoring are just a little too easy in the Philippines). I’m wondering how long until the next Korean hostage drama. And, I’m wondering what the politics will be like when it happens in an area with no American involvement.
One enjoyable aspect of living in Korea is everyone is concentrating on making money and having fun instead of worrying about “terrorists”. I hope Korea can avoid these entanglements and the changes they bring to society. Even though I make fun of Korea’s constant worry over the naming of the Sea of Japan, if that is the worst international problem Korea faces, it is a good thing.
J!
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7:09 am on August 30th, 2007 9
ChickenHead,
I personally think that the sea of japan should be called “Sea of Dr.Yu” in order to settle the problem between Korea and Japan. But since this option seems to be the least likely to happen I think I will keep supporting “East Sea”. What do you think about “Sea of ChickenHead”?
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8:44 am on August 30th, 2007 10
Dr. Yu,
That is the funniest thing I have heard all week. I like it, the Sea of Dr. Yu sounds much better than the Sea of Chickenhead.
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11:27 am on August 30th, 2007 11
I don’t know. The Chicken Sea has a nice ring to it in Korean… Kyae Hae…
…although if it was somehow reversed and called The Sea of Yu, Hae Yu sounds good, too… especially if it’s spelled Hey You.
J!
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6:28 am on August 31st, 2007 12
ChickenHead,
Very funny. Seems like you know korean language very well.
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