Korean foreign policy: "We do negotiate with terrorists"

The Chosun Ilbo is happy to report that Seoul is finally taking the reins and acting on its own initiative... by opening direct negotiations with the Taliban.

Korean hostage negotiators have agreed to direct talks with Taliban kidnappers in Afghanistan, a purported spokesman for the Islamists militants told DPA Thursday. The news agency quoted Qari Yousuf Ahmadi as saying Korean Ambassador to Afghanistan Kang Sung-ju spoke directly by phone with his Taliban counterpart. Arab news channel Al Jazeera quoted the Taliban as saying they had not killed any more Korean hostages as they believes the chance of direct talks with the Korean delegation could open a new phase in negotiations.

Ahmadi earlier told AP and AFP the Koreans had not requested direct talks with the militants, but the insurgents would be willing to hold such a meeting in Taliban-controlled territory. Ahmadi said the surviving 21 Korean hostages are not in Ghazni Province, where they were kidnapped, but are held in separate groups in Zabul, Kandahar and Helmand provinces.

Got that? This might happen in Taliban-controlled territory.

Nightmare scenario: Korean negotiators agree to this madness and get captured. The Taliban ups its demands.

The article ends with this hilarious line by Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher: "All pressures need to be applied to the Taliban to get them to release these hostages."

Way to apply pressure, Korea. Like the gerbil in Richard Gere's ass, the Taliban must be squirming mightily.

You know... this is rapidly moving beyond the comical. I may just do some Photoshopping of this whole affair to let off some steam. File it under "mordant humor," and consider it more constructive than what I'd really like to do, which is shoot someone.

Meanwhile, Drudge continues not to link to any stories about the crisis. Part of me is going "Fuck him," but another part of me, the part that has had enough of the bullshit emanating from the Korean government and an increasing number of Korean citizens, is going "Maybe Drudge is right to avoid this clusterfuck."


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