Another Afghan hostage deadline passes By AMIR SHAH, Associated Press Writer

Another Afghan hostage deadline passes By AMIR SHAH, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 18 minutes ago



GHAZNI, Afghanistan - A Taliban deadline for the lives of the remaining 21 South Korean hostages passed without immediate word on their fate Wednesday, while the Afghan army dropped leaflets in the area warning residents of an upcoming military mission.

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The deadline passed a day after Afghan police found the body of a second hostage slain since the church-group volunteers were seized two weeks ago. A purported Taliban spokesman had demanded the release of eight militant prisoners, including some held by the United States at Bagram.

South Korea said it would send a parliamentary delegation to the United States to seek cooperation in resolving the crisis, and relatives of the hostages pleaded for help at Washington's embassy in the South Korean capital.

The Taliban has extended several previous deadlines by hours or days. However, the militia killed two captives several hours after two previous deadlines.

Both the families and the South Korean government have appealed for an exception to the international practice of refusing to make concessions to hostage-takers.

The Afghan government, however, said releasing militant prisoners was "not an option." Afghanistan was criticized by the U.S. and other Western countries earlier this year when it released five Taliban prisoners to win the freedom of an Italian hostage.

Afghan National Army helicopters dropped leaflets in Ghazni province — where the South Koreans were kidnapped and are being held — warning people of an upcoming military operation in the area.

"The Defense Ministry wants to launch a military operation in the area," the leaflets said. "In order for you to be safe and not be affected by the operation, we call on you to move to secure government-controlled areas."

The leaflets did not say when or where the operation would be launched, and it was not clear whether the planned operation was aimed at freeing the hostages. A Defense Ministry spokesman said he had no immediate comment.

The South Korean government reiterated its opposition to any military attempt to free the hostages. Family members have also expressed concern that a military operation would endanger the lives of the captives.

"There is no reason or need to give up on dialogue at this point," said Cheon Ho-sun, a spokesman for South Korea's president. "There won't be any military operations without our consent."

The original 23 South Koreans were kidnapped while riding a bus July 19 on the Kabul-Kandahar highway. They are the largest group of foreign hostages taken in Afghanistan since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that drove the Taliban from power.

Qari Yousef Ahmadi, who claims to speak for the Taliban, had demanded that eight militant prisoners be released by midday Wednesday. He said some of the militants were held by the U.S. at Bagram.

In South Korea, four major political parties agreed to send a joint delegation of seven lawmakers to Washington on Thursday. The delegation plans to meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns and national security adviser Stephen Hadley, said the office of South Korean Rep. Kim Choong-whan. They also intend to see U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, South Korea's former foreign minister.

The parties called on the United States to take an "active and positive attitude to prevent the loss of human lives."

Relatives of the hostages visited the U.S. Embassy in Seoul for about an hour and were told their appeal for help would be passed along to Washington.

"We will hold on to any small hope to save them," Ryu Haeng-sik, husband of hostage Kim Yoon-yong, 35, told The Associated Press outside the embassy, his eyes red from weeping and fatigue.

"We cannot say we're relieved, but there is no other way but to believe their words, that they're going to do their best," he said.

About 100 people protested outside the embassy to demand U.S. action, some carrying banners reading, "Bush: Don't kill, negotiate" and "Bush, you have responsibility." Hundreds of police in riot gear surrounded the demonstrators.

The South Korean government said the U.S. was giving basic cooperation on the standoff.

"We understand their dilemma and limits," Cheon said.

On Tuesday, State Department spokesman Tom Casey said there were regular contact between U.S. and South Korean officials on the standoff, but would not comment on specifics.

Human Rights Watch called for the immediate release of the remaining South Korean captives, and accused the Taliban of committing war crimes by taking and killing the hostages.

The New York-based rights group said the Taliban have kidnapped at least 41 Afghan civilians this year and killed at least 23 of them. The rest are missing.

"The taking of hostages is a war crime," said Joanne Mariner of Human Rights Watch.

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Associated Press writer Anthony Deutsch in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report.