Taliban propose hostage swap for jailed women

SOUTH KOREA: Taliban militants holding 21 South Korean aid workers in Afghanistan proposed on Tuesday that some female hostages be exchanged for jailed women supporters of the insurgents, Yonhap news agency reported.

The reported new demand by spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi, in a telephone interview with the agency, follows Taliban claims that two of the Korean women were gravely ill.

Foreign Minister Song Min-Soon denied any serious health problems.

“We do not know the exact number of Taliban women imprisoned by the Afghan government, but if (Kabul) lets them go, we will release the same number of female hostages,” Ahmadi was quoted as saying.

He said the jailed women were simply supporters, who were convicted for providing food or shelter to Taliban fighters. “The Taliban do not have any female ministers or female fighters.”

Song, speaking before a weekly Cabinet meeting, said the reported health problems of the two women captives were not serious.

“The hostages can’t be perfectly healthy after nearly 20 days in captivity. In that sense, they are not healthy on the whole. There has been no symptom of any of the hostages being critically ill,” said the minister.

The extremist group had said it was awaiting the outcome of a summit between US President George W. Bush and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai to see whether its demand would be met.

But the White House said Monday the two leaders had agreed no concessions would be made to the kidnappers.

Song said the summit’s outcome was anticipated. “The (Korean) government is making various efforts for the release of the hostages.” Asked if Korea should brace for a long-term crisis, Song said that in previous cases captives in Afghanistan had been held for an average of 35 days. But this did “not necessarily” mean this case would drag on, he said.

Ahmadi said the lives of the hostages rest in the hands of Afghan President Hamid Karzai and U.S. President George W. Bush.

He also warned that the Taliban would still kidnap foreigners if the government refuses to meet their demand to exchange the South Koreans for militant prisoners.

Two of the hostages seized three weeks ago are said to be extremely sick, and an Afghan doctor who heads a private clinic said he had dropped off almost US$2,000 (euro1,450) worth of antibiotics, vitamins and first aid kits in rural Ghazni province on Sunday intended for the captives.

Dr. Mohammad Hashim Wahwaj said the Taliban told him that they had picked up the medicine.

In South Korea, the husband of one of the hostages posted a video message on YouTube on Monday, telling his wife not to give up hope because they will see each other soon.

Seoul, Ghazni, Tuesday, AFP, AP