South Korean hostage talks resume in Afghanistan, Taliban arrival

(28 Aug 2007) ++QUALITY AS INCOMING++ 1. Various of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) vehicles in convoy taking Taliban negotiators to talks 2. People inside car including two Taliban negotiators 3. Wide of media surrounding vehicle 4. SOUNDBITE: (Pashto) Qari Bashir, Taliban negotiator: "We will talk to you after the negotiations." 5. Various of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) vehicles in convoy STORYLINE: Taliban militants have resumed face-to-face talks with South Korean officials on the fate of 19 Korean church volunteers held captive since July, a spokesman for the militants said on Tuesday. An Associated Press reporter in the central town of Ghazni saw members of a South Korean delegation being driven into the venue of the meeting by Afghan intelligence officers. Later, a two-man Taliban delegation was brought to the compound in a vehicle belonging to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Taliban negotiator Qari Bashir said from the ICRC vehicle they would speak to the media "after the negotiations." Qari Yousef Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, said both sides had begun talking face to face. However, a South Korean Embassy official in Kabul said he could not confirm that talks had begun. The talks were taking place in the offices of the Afghan Red Crescent, the local partner of the ICRC. The Red Cross facilitated the previous talks. The Taliban kidnapped 23 South Koreans as they travelled by bus from Kabul to the former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar. Two men were killed and two women released. The insurgents have demanded the withdrawal of around 200 South Korean troops currently in the country and the release of militant prisoners in exchange for the captives' freedom. Afghan officials have ruled out any exchange, saying such a move will only encourage further kidnappings. Ahmadi said on Monday that if the negotiations did not bring results then the high council of the Taliban would make a decision about the fate of the hostages. He did not elaborate. Abductions have become a key insurgent tactic in recent months in trying to destabilise the country, targeting both Afghan officials and foreigners helping with reconstruction. A German engineer and four Afghan colleagues kidnapped a day before the South Koreans are still being held. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...