korean hostages

I have received a letter from a Korean journalist. I would like to share this with you and see what you think.

> Salam, Jouno friends!!! > > It's Lee, a Korean journalist missing you guys and hospitable afghans, > here in Beirut Lebanon. > What a shocking news it is that some 21 koreans, who belong to the > 'Hilal' hospital-runned NGO in Kandahar, were abducted yesterday.

Taliban threaten to kill 18 Koreans, including 15 women, unless Seoul pulls out its 200 troops from Afghanistan, underscoring the militia's use of soft targets to weaken President Hamid Karzai's government.
In the largest-scale abduction of foreigners since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, the South Koreans were kidnapped at gunpoint from a bus in Ghazni province's Qarabagh district on Thursday as they traveled on the main highway from Kabul to the southern city of Kandahar.
The South Korean Foreign Ministry confirmed the abduction of 21 Koreans, including 16 women, according to Yonhap
The discrepancy in figures could not be immediately clarified.

> As I do keep clear pictures of 'Hilal hospital' in Kandahar (in my mind), > where ive seen a lot afghan women patients and korean doctors, afghan > doctor, afghan nurses...in harmony, I myself feel very aweful and thinking > it could be a blast to those all. So sad in fact.

Outmatched by foreign troops, the Taliban often resorts to kidnapping civilians caught traveling on treacherous roads, particularly in the country's south, where the insurgency is raging.
The tactic hurts Karzai's government by discouraging foreigners involved in reconstruction projects from venturing outside big towns and into remote areas where their help is most needed.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that the hostages were members of the Saemmul Community Church in Bundang, just south of the South Korean capital, Seoul, who had entered Afghanistan on July 13 for volunteer work and were planning to return home on Monday.

> Although the hospital is sponsored by a very 'name valuable' korean > church, they never intended to preach religion thing, rather they do very > respect the local culture, religion, thoughts of people there and all > people. As we're all equal human beings, it's a must.

Some 1,200 Christians, including hundreds of South Korean children, reportedly traveled to Afghanistan last summer.
"They are young Korean Christians who were engaged in short-term evangelistic activity and service for children in Kandahar," said Joseph Park, mission director of the Christian Council of Korea.
Oh Soo-In, a senior church administer at Saemmul Community Church, said the captured church group are in their 20s and 30s, as reported by AFP

> Just this 'helpless woman' currently far distanced, appeal you > journalists that...> > Please, you do contact with Taliban movement, spokesperson to remind them > > > 1) "this brings absolutely negative effect to their movement and afghan > society as a whole" 2) "Majority of S.Koreans oppose those foreign troops' > agression as Talibs do" This is a FACT.> 3) And those abducted are purely of help for Afghan friends and want to be > friends and they are innocent.
the South Korean government has urged Christian groups and other Koreans to get out of the country and return home as it works to secure the release of the Christian hostages.
> I do remember our journalist friend, Mr.Ajmal, whose case was totally > unjustifiable to any of us. > Let's do out best to avoid this kind of series in our circle. > I believe many of you could do some effective role for this case with > your article, with your relations with Talibs, convincing them to release > those innocents.

I am wondering what we could exactly do here to help?

> Another blast from this case to me is that > S.Korea government seems to request all afghan embassy abroad > "NOT TO ISSUE VISA FOR KOREAN NATIONALS" as they did for Iraq entrance > (for even journalist). I was going to be back Afghanistan coming early sep. > So, this is a blast to me as well. I really miss there to do more stories > from there field. > I wish you all the best!!! > in Peace > Lee (+ 961 70 82 05 71 in Lebanon)

Dancing with the shadow

Dancing with the shadow
Complying companion
I here I come, I hear I jump
Harmonious mover quick shaker
good friend, not missing one gesture.
Never noticed you before
Lost you,
Clouds are blocking the moon
Only the dark ones
Signaling rain, party over
Shadow a companion which doesn’t sweat
Trying made me wet all over,
The dog is leaping
Hoping to catch up with the shadow
Poor dogs, have to imitate their shadows
The soulless, soundless but animated
Venus, Jupiter, mars blinking
Waiting for the moon back
The wind wipes the cloud off the moon face
Let be this the last line
The sky shatters,
Blue light shows the horizon
The roar followed
A slow companion
Not quite a shadow
The lightening danced out
The roar moaned to catch up
The clouds building shapes
Moon comes through a triangular window
Venus is in the key hole
Barking dog calls on the lightening

TALIBAN TO HAND OVER COMMAND OF THEIR TROOPS

The armed Taliban leaders held a session in Kota, capital of Baluchistan, and decided that they will hand over the leadership of their troops in Afghanistan to foreigners.According to the report, the armed Taliban council leaders held a session in the capital of Baluchistan, Kota, two weeks ago and decided that the command of the Taliban troops would be handed over to the foreigners in Afghanistan.This time, papers have been published in Marja, Nad Ali and a number of other areas of Helmand province by the Taliban.

These papers were written on computers and then [photo]copied. The Taliban of the southwest seriously condemned the meeting in Koti and stated that if in fact the leadership of the Taliban was to be handed over to foreigners like Arabs, Chechens, Panjabis and Uzbek warlords, then they would leave the Taliban […].A tribal elder of Helmand province who declined to give his name told Azadi Radio that the commanders of Helmand province also seriously condemn the programme of Mullah Mohammad Omar and don’t accept the leadership of foreigners.

He said that the Taliban members would fight against the Americans and other foreigners until they breathed their last breath. He said that the decision of the Taliban council leaders in Kota was incorrect and stated that Mullah Mohammad Omar must know that Pashtuns don’t want to be slaves.

According to the Taliban, death is better for them than accepting the leadership of foreigners like Arabs, Uzbeks, Chechens and others, and that even it is not clear whether Uzbeks and Chechens are Muslims or not.On the other hand, the Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said that this report was propaganda, but didn’t give further details in this regard.

TALIBAN TO HAND OVER COMMAND OF THEIR TROOPS

The armed Taliban leaders held a session in Kota, capital of Baluchistan, and decided that they will hand over the leadership of their troops in Afghanistan to foreigners.According to the report, the armed Taliban council leaders held a session in the capital of Baluchistan, Kota, two weeks ago and decided that the command of the Taliban troops would be handed over to the foreigners in Afghanistan.This time, papers have been published in Marja, Nad Ali and a number of other areas of Helmand province by the Taliban.
These papers were written on computers and then [photo]copied. The Taliban of the southwest seriously condemned the meeting in Koti and stated that if in fact the leadership of the Taliban was to be handed over to foreigners like Arabs, Chechens, Panjabis and Uzbek warlords, then they would leave the Taliban […].A tribal elder of Helmand province who declined to give his name told Azadi Radio that the commanders of Helmand province also seriously condemn the programme of Mullah Mohammad Omar and don’t accept the leadership of foreigners.
He said that the Taliban members would fight against the Americans and other foreigners until they breathed their last breath. He said that the decision of the Taliban council leaders in Kota was incorrect and stated that Mullah Mohammad Omar must know that Pashtuns don’t want to be slaves.
According to the Taliban, death is better for them than accepting the leadership of foreigners like Arabs, Uzbeks, Chechens and others, and that even it is not clear whether Uzbeks and Chechens are Muslims or not.On the other hand, the Taliban spokesman Qari Yousuf Ahmadi said that this report was propaganda, but didn’t give further details in this regard.