Taliban says two Hostages Killed

Elizabeth Matthews, Intelligence Analyst: Afghanistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

United States (US): Intelligence Report

Taliban says two Hostages Killed

22July2007

KABUL, Afghanistan- Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, Taliban spokesman, claimed the Islamic militia had killed two German hostages. Ahmadi the stated that the Taliban would trade 23 captive South Koreans for imprisoned Taliban fighters. Ahmadi warned the Afghan government and U.S. and NATO forces not to try to rescue the hostages or they would be killed. Ahmadi claimed the Germans and the five Afghans kidnapped along with them were shot to death because Germany did not withdraw its 3,000 troops from Afghanistan as demanded by the Taliban. In South Korea, family members of kidnapped victims urged the government to accept the Taliban trade, noting Seoul already decided to bring its soldiers home this year. In March, President Hamid Karzai authorized the release of five Taliban prisoners in exchange for a kidnapped Italian reporter, but he called the trade a one-time deal. Mr. Karzai was also criticized by the United States and European nations, who felt the trade would encourage more kidnappings.

Analysis: It is likely that the Taliban is using that the German hostages as leverage for the release of their own Taliban detainees. Qari Yousuf Ahmadi offered no proof for his claim of the kidnapped Germans, which was disputed by both Afghanistan and Germany, were dead. The Taliban is using coalition forces, South Korea and Germany, to train and have NATO and U.S. forces withdrawal troops from southern Afghanistan provinces. It is not clear if Afghanistan would make trade, however it is likely that U.S. and coalition forces would persuade President Karzai to not give into terrorism.

Source: http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070722/FOREIGN/107220050/1001

(Reliability-8)