Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Seoul Pleads for Taliban Talks

Delegation arrives in Afghanistan while Afghans, Taliban search for venue

By Wesley Oliver,  Newser Staff

Posted Aug 4, 2007 3:55 PM CDT

(Newser) – South Korean officials are in Afghanistan seeking direct talks with the Taliban, Reuters reports, as the terrorist group and the Afghan government bicker over a venue for their own negotiations to free the  21 remaining Korean hostages. Two male members of the church group have been killed by the kidnappers.

 Afghans forces have clustered in Ghazi, where the hostages were kidnapped and are now being held in groups. The province’s governor accused Pakistani intelligence of cooperating with the Taliban. Meanwhile, Afghan authorities have been able to send medicines to the hostages after the Taliban reported two of the women are seriously ill.

South Korean protesters hold pictures of the remaining 21 kidnapped South Koreans in Afghanistan at a candlelight rally demanding the United States to engage in negotiations for the safe return of the hostages, in front of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Aug. 3, 2007. South Korea...
South Korean protesters hold pictures of the remaining 21 kidnapped South Koreans in Afghanistan at a candlelight rally demanding the United States to engage in negotiations for the safe return of the...   (Associated Press)
South Korean protesters participate in a candlelight rally demanding the United States to engage in negotiations for the safe return of South Korean hostages in Afghanistan, in front of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Aug. 3, 2007. South Korea expressed hope Friday that an upcoming summit...
South Korean protesters participate in a candlelight rally demanding the United States to engage in negotiations for the safe return of South Korean hostages in Afghanistan, in front of the U.S. Embassy...   (Associated Press)
Mohammad Hashim Wahaaj, leader of an Afghan medical team, second from right, is interviewed by the media upon arriving in Ghazni province, as his team attempts to reach a group of South Korean hostages, to treat those in need of medical care, in Ghazni province, west of Kabul, Afghanistan, on...
Mohammad Hashim Wahaaj, leader of an Afghan medical team, second from right, is interviewed by the media upon arriving in Ghazni province, as his team attempts to reach a group of South Korean hostages,...   (Associated Press)
North Korean negotiator Kim Kye Gwan, center left, speaks to journalists as he emerges with members of his delegation, right, after a lunch meeting with U.S. nuclear envoy Christopher Hill, in Beijing Tuesday July 17, 2007. Both had arrived in Beijing earlier Tuesday for another round of talks on...
North Korean negotiator Kim Kye Gwan, center left, speaks to journalists as he emerges with members of his delegation, right, after a lunch meeting with U.S. nuclear envoy Christopher Hill, in Beijing...   (Associated Press)
North Korean negotiator Kim Kye Gwan, far right, emerges with members of his delegation after a lunch meeting with U.S. nuclear envoy Christopher Hill, in Beijing Tuesday July 17, 2007. Both had arrived in Beijing earlier Tuesday for another round of talks on disarming Pyongyang's nuclear program. (AP Photo/Greg...
North Korean negotiator Kim Kye Gwan, far right, emerges with members of his delegation after a lunch meeting with U.S. nuclear envoy Christopher Hill, in Beijing Tuesday July 17, 2007. Both had arrived...   (Associated Press)
Shim Jin-pyo, right, and Kim Mi-ock, father and mother, of Shim Sung-min, one of two South Koreans killed in Afghanistan, cry during his funeral at a hospital in Sungnam, south of Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2007. Friends and relatives of Shim, a South Korean volunteer worker killed by...
Shim Jin-pyo, right, and Kim Mi-ock, father and mother, of Shim Sung-min, one of two South Koreans killed in Afghanistan, cry during his funeral at a hospital in Sungnam, south of Seoul, South Korea,...   (Associated Press)
South Korean protesters shout slogans during a rally demanding the United States to engage in negotiations for the safe return of South Korean hostages in Afghanistan, in Seoul, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2007. South Korea expressed hope Friday that an upcoming summit between the United States and Afghanistan would help efforts...
South Korean protesters shout slogans during a rally demanding the United States to engage in negotiations for the safe return of South Korean hostages in Afghanistan, in Seoul, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2007....   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

U.S. strikes Taliban 200 miles away from hostages
Washington Post

Afghan governor: Taliban, Pakistan working together
Reuters

Profile of one of the hostage victims
Reuters

 
Afghanistan • United Nations • Taliban • terrorism • Pakistan • South Korea • kidnapping • Ghazni • Inter Service Intelligence • hostage

 
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Timelines   |   POPSUGAR Tech   |   Business Insider   |   HuffPost Entertainment   |   NewsOne