Taliban and South Koreans hold more talks
GHAZNI, Afghanistan - Taliban militants held a second round of face-to-face talks with South Korean officials on the fate of 19 captive church volunteers yesterday, but there was no word of a breakthrough.
GHAZNI, Afghanistan - Taliban militants held a second round of face-to-face talks with South Korean officials on the fate of 19 captive church volunteers yesterday, but there was no word of a breakthrough.
Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi said members of the South Korean delegation told militant negotiators they could not free eight Taliban prisoners held by Afghan authorities - a key Taliban demand.
Ahmadi said the Taliban leadership would soon decide whether to continue the negotiations.
South Korean officials were not immediately available for comment.
The two sides talked for three hours at the offices of the Afghan Red Crescent in Ghazni. The International Committee of the Red Cross helped facilitate the talks.
The Taliban officials left after the talks without speaking to reporters.
The talks came after the release Monday of two women who were among 23 South Koreans kidnapped by the militants July 19 as they were traveling by bus from Kabul to the former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar. The kidnappers have killed two male hostages. Fourteen women and five men are still being held.
Two Taliban representatives held two rounds of face-to-face talks with South Korean officials last Friday and Saturday at the Red Crescent office after the Afghan government agreed to guarantee their safety.
The Taliban wants South Korean officials to pressure the Afghan government to free the imprisoned fighters, and will not harm the rest of the hostages while the talks continue, Ahmadi said.
The Afghan government was heavily criticized in March for freeing five Taliban prisoners to win the release of an Italian journalist, and has ruled out any further such deals, saying they would encourage more kidnappings.
