Like Michelle, I'll believe it when I see it. However, this is a great development for these innocent people who have been kept in horrible conditions for over 40 days:
Taliban militants in Afghanistan agreed to release 19 South Korean church volunteers held captive since July 19, a spokesman for the insurgents and the South Korean government said Tuesday.Qari Yousef Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, said South Korean and Taliban delegates at face-to-face talks Tuesday in the central town of Ghazni had "reached an agreement" to release the captives.
In Seoul, South Korean presidential spokesman Cheon Ho-sun confirmed a deal was reached.
"We welcome the agreement to release 19 South Koreans," said Cheon Ho-sun.
This apparently is just in the nick of time, as many of them were supposedly sick from bad weather and lack of food. Earlier this month, two of the hostages were released, both female, but two of the hostages had already been murdered. However, the future looks a little bit brighter for the remaining 19 hostages, and the chances of their making it out alive are that much stronger.
It isn't all good news though. Christians from South Korea will no longer be allowed in Afghanistan:
South Korean negotiators in Afghanistan have reached a deal with Taliban militants holding 19 South Korean Christian aid workers for over a month, a presidential spokesman in Seoul said Tuesday.Seoul welcomes the deal, but spokesman Cheon Ho-sun cautioned that many details must still be worked out and the aid workers will not be released immediately.
Under the terms of the agreement, South Korea agreed to stick by its previous decision to withdraw its 200 non-combat troops from Afghanistan, which work mostly in an engineering and medical capacity.
In addition, Seoul will halt all Christian missionary work in Afghanistan.
They are still negotiating, but hopefully it can all be worked out. We can hope for the hostages to be released in three or four days.
Be sure the keep these brave civilians in your prayers.
Others reporting: Michelle Malkin, AllahPundit, The American Pundit, and The Jawa Report
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Comments (4)
How is this, not worse then... (Below threshold)1. Posted by plainslow | August 28, 2007 1:29 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
How is this, not worse then Gitmo?
The Korean's should send 5000 troops when this is over.
1. Posted by plainslow | August 28, 2007 1:29 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on August 28, 2007 13:29
2. Posted by Peter F. | August 28, 2007 2:27 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Great point, plainslow.
Fat chance it'll happen, though.
2. Posted by Peter F. | August 28, 2007 2:27 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on August 28, 2007 14:27
3. Posted by Jim Addison | August 28, 2007 3:16 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
I wonder how "Seoul will halt all Christian missionary work in Afghanistan."
I doubt the missionaries were government-sponsored, so what are they going to do? Ban missionaries from traveling to Afghanistan?
And isn't this what the Taliban wants?
3. Posted by Jim Addison | August 28, 2007 3:16 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on August 28, 2007 15:16
4. Posted by pudge | August 28, 2007 4:54 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
I'll be waiting for the big story on 60 minutes about how the religious fanatics of the Taliban have banished fresh water, modern medicine and the love of our Saviour from a place that, no sane person would argue, needs at least two of the above as much as any place on earth.
Yeah, I'll be waiting alright. God damn the liars(of omission and literally) and censors of the truth known here as "The MSM", or as I call them, the body-count media. Course it depends on whose bodies their counting. Innocent Christians of color do not count.
I hope the body-counters all rot in hell for their total lack of a willingness to even approach an assemblance of fairness or objectivity. They test my faith almost every day, and I despise them for it.
4. Posted by pudge | August 28, 2007 4:54 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on August 28, 2007 16:54