hankyoreh

The administration of U.S. President George W. Bush has, until now, remained silent, despite the ongoing hostage crisis involving 23 South Koreans who are being threatened with death by their Taliban captors in Afghanistan. The U.S. government’s leading role in the war on terrorism and its decisive influence on the release of Taliban prisoners, one of the key demands of the current captors, has increasingly brought attention to the meaning behind the silence. Though the U.S. Department of State has finally commented on the recent events in Afghanistan, the timing of the comments still leaves many unanswered questions about what role the U.S. government will take.

Some say the U.S. administration’s official announcement on the hostage crisis had been delayed because the events took place over a weekend. However, others have cited the Bush administration’s basic stance on kidnappings by terrorists. Officially, the Bush administration does not negotiate with or make concessions to terrorists. People close to the situation say the Bush administration told the South Korean government it would be proactive in helping South Korea by offering related information while expressing its concerns via diplomatic channels.

However, the Bush administration does not appear to be aggressively engaging in negotiations or leading a rescue bid. The U.S. government’s ultimate goal is to destroy both the hard-line Taliban militia and al-Qaeda. Speaking on CNN and Fox News television on July 22, U.S. Homeland Security Advisor Frances Fragos Townsend made no comments on the kidnapping of the 23 Koreans, though the Taliban and al-Qaeda were both among the topics for discussion.

Four days after the kidnapping occurred, U. S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack finally commented on the issue, urging the kidnappers to immediately free the South Korean hostages. On July 23, he said that “These are innocent people who pose no threat to anybody,” and added that “We stand with the South Korean government while they follow this matter closely.”

As an allied nation, it may be difficult for the United States to intervene in negotiations between South Korea and the kidnappers. However, if this is the case, anti-American sentiment may rapidly spread throughout the nations with which it is allied.

In March, when an Italian journalist was kidnapped, U.S. State Department spokesmen Sean McCormack emphasized that the United States would not negotiate with terrorists and recommended that others follow the same course. Then, when the Afghan government released five Taliban prisoners in return for the release of the Italian hostage, the U.S. government criticized the trade as encouraging more kidnappings and making concessions to terrorism. However, it is difficult to believe that the trade was made without the U.S. government’s knowledge - after all, a U.S. general is in command of the NATO troops that are based in Afghanistan.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]