Thu, 02/08/2007 - 12:54 — matt
Source: Afgha.com
The Taliban’s official list of demands has been revealed for the first time since fighters kidnapped 22 South Korean aid workers in Ghazni province almost three weeks ago. The ongoing negotiation effort between Afghan intermediaries and Taliban fighters has been hampered by confusion and delays. At one point, the South Korean envoy participating in the talks communicated and paid a large sum of money to a group of bandits acting as the kidnappers.
The Taliban initially demand the release of 115 of their imprisoned fighters but through the negotiation process that number has dwindled down to 23, then to 8. They recently passed this list of 8 fighters on to negotiators. It is largely made up of Ghazni area fighters and commanders recently imprisoned by the ANA and US forces.
According to Afghanwire.com, who translated the Afghan journal Cheragh, the list includes:
Dr. Abdul Was-e, Malawi Mohammad Osman, Zia Ahmad, Muhibullah, Suleyman, Dawer (Daro) Khan, Noorullah and Mohammad Hussein Khiyaal Mohammad Husseini, according to representative from Ghazni province.
2 of the Korean hostages, including the group’s pastor leader, were brutally executed and dumped on the side of the road after some of the deadlines expired. The remaining hostages are ill, suffering from dehydration and intestinal ailments, and the Taliban indicate at least 2 of the captive women are close to dying.
More:
http://www.afgha.com/?q=node/3861Oh, great. We're going to free 8 Taliban fighters because some church wanted to walk around a war zone talking about Jesus to people.
Maybe they'll all just "escape" from prison...
See:
Masterminds of USS Cole and Limburg bombings escape from Yemeni prison
http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Masterminds_of_USS_Cole_and_Limburg_bombings_escape_from_Yemeni_prison