S.K. traded 20 million and withdrawl of troops for release of Afghanistan Hostages.

[Flabbergasted]

Daily News

http://www.dailynews.com/ci_6854283?source=most_emailed

South Korea should face the music for funding terrorists
BY BRIDGET JOHNSON, Columnist
Article Last Updated: 09/10/2007 04:36:03 PM PDT

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Like a pup nipping at presidential heels, Roh told Bush to "be a bit clearer in your message," with Bush firing back, "I can't make it any more clear, Mr. President."

Bush should have seized that opportunity, with the cameras clicking and Roh getting in his face, to ask him, "So, Mr. President, can you suggest what punitive measures should be taken against South Korea for funding a terrorist organization?"

According to the official line from South Korea, the country retrieved its evangelical Christian hostages from the clutches of the Taliban by promising to withdraw its 200-strong military support staff from Afghanistan by the end of the year - which it had planned to do even before the 23 church volunteers were seized July 19 - and to pull all missionary workers out of the country, which Korea had been doing from the moment the evangelicals' bus was attacked on the road to Kandahar.

Originally, the Taliban had demanded Afghanistan release an equal number of their fighters. Korean attempts to pressure the Afghans into bowing to terrorist demands - and to pressure the Americans to in turn pressure the Afghans - proved fruitless. The Koreans called an Islamic country, Indonesia, into talks at the request of the Taliban, who in turn got the legitimacy they so desperately sought.
South Korea's National Intelligence Service chief, Kim Man-bok, flew to Afghanistan late last month and returned with the remaining 19 hostages. Immediately, reports surfaced that South Korea had paid a large sum to the Taliban in exchange for the evangelicals' release. Al-Jazeera cited several sources that said a hefty sum had changed hands, and a Taliban figure - who later recanted under pressure from his superiors, who undoubtedly wanted to look like they were a powerful political bargaining force and not common criminals - told Reuters the amount was $20 million.

South Korea vehemently denied coughing up a ransom. But behind closed doors, the answer adopted shades of gray. "It is inappropriate to discuss whether a ransom was paid," Kim reportedly told a parliamentary committee Thursday. "It will be known later. I will speak at an appropriate time."

Because the Taliban doesn't just let valuable hostages go out of the goodness of their hearts - or for "demands" that were a foregone conclusion - late last week I checked with U.S. government sources who unofficially confirmed that South Korea did, indeed, exchange cash for the hostages.

South Korea supplied the Taliban with funds that will be used to try to overthrow Afghanistan's fledgling democracy and restore an oppressive, draconian theocracy. The Taliban now would have more cash for munitions to attack U.S. soldiers and other members of the coalition, more money for roadside and suicide bombs to kill men, women and children.

And, of course, they'd have more reason to kidnap others.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi said the group would "do the same thing with the other allies in Afghanistan because we found this way to be successful."

And the funds wouldn't just be useful around Kabul, but potentially around our corners. In June, a Taliban graduation video surfaced in which commander Mansour Dadullah said, "Oh, Americans and your allies, these suicide bombers are going to chase you in your countries." That $20 million sure would come in handy in that endeavor.

South Korea has been heavily criticized around the globe for negotiating with terrorists. Germany, which still has a civilian hostage being held by the Taliban and refuses to negotiate with the group, decried the Korean move as succumbing to "blackmail."

But will the global community have the backbone to take punitive measures against South Korea for funding a terrorist organization? The country deserves to be slapped with sanctions for material support of a terrorist organization, and hearings should be held to air the details of the payout.

Or, we could just sit back and wait to feel that $20 million in blood money explode on the streets of Kabul, on the streets of Europe (Germany has traced the newest terror plots there to Taliban training camps) or, as the Taliban keynote speaker promised, the streets of America.