The Marmot’s Hole

10 Comments

1. danson
   Posted August 31, 2007 at 7:19 am | Permalink

   Well, I can’t say it’s a surprise.

   The current administration faces an uphill battle in the upcoming election, and last thing they want to do is piss off the stupid masses. They couldn’t care less about the world opinion, or the future safety of other foreigners operating in dangerous regions. They just don’t want to have to explain to the uneducated public why it was in the national long-term interest to give the Taliban the finger.

   After all, this is the same administration that spent the last 5 years bending over backwards to the brothers in the north. With all the news coverages of interracial romances recently, it’s just natural they’d just take it up the a$$ from the Talibans as well.

   This sh1t would have never gone down like this if Lee Myoung Bak were president. This is just f**king embarassing.

2. mateomiguel
   Posted August 31, 2007 at 9:34 am | Permalink

   You know what would be a cool way for the administration to regain face in the international community? Increase their troop commitments to Afghanistan by about 100 times the current amount.

3. Ut videam
   Posted August 31, 2007 at 10:00 am | Permalink

   #2 -

   Now, there’s wisdom from our friend! 19 hostages out, a division of ROK Marines or Special Forces in.

4. cm
   Posted August 31, 2007 at 10:12 am | Permalink

   Fat chance. When pigs fly. Korea should be proud of what it’s becoming. Supporter of North Koreans, and now the Talibans. Give these enemies of civilization, arms, food, and money. Koreans safe this time, but next time, we’ll see. And damn the foreigners, Afghans and NATO troops in Afghanistan who are now endangered because of Korea.

5. Wedge
   Posted August 31, 2007 at 10:18 am | Permalink

   Korea is simply not a responsible international player. Most things this government does on the international stage are foolish and counterproductive (poking the eye of the only security guarantor this country has ever had that didn’t have designs on or extract tribute from the place, perpetual whinging over the Liancourt Rocks and Japan in general, bending over and grabbing socks for Little Elvis, preemptively surrendering to any Chinese demand, especially not granting a visa to the Dalai Lama for a fricken’ Nobel Peace Prize reunion, ad naseum).

6. wjk
   Posted August 31, 2007 at 10:25 am | Permalink

   bottom line, no deal should have been made. However, cooperation or giving in with the terrorists has been practiced not just by South Korea.

   Spain caved in after the commuter rail bomb.

   Italy caved in, too. Italy paid a $2 million ransom for a journalist.

   Lee Myung Bak?

   Sadly, he would have done the same thing.

   Only the United States of America has documented spine in this matter.

   The United States of America does not negotiate with terrorists or criminals.

   But, it does bring up an interesting discussion when that terrorists or criminals are a real state!

   eg) Iran, North Korea, Russia, China

   strictly, making a deal was the wrong thing to do.

   no deal should have been made. But, personally, if that was my family, and in a larger sense they are, I would have wired all my money, borrowed money, and stole money to deposit into their Taliban accounts. I would have probably been prosecuted for doing it under current laws, though. And the current laws is the right law.

   I’m so thankful for Bush’s Patriot Act. The FBI should be knocking down doors on anyone, anyone feeding money into the Taliban.

   The CIA and the FBI have been fantastic under George W. Bush.

   He will be remembered, like Churchill.

   Mark those words.

   And remember my initials wjk, when history proves it so.

7. mateomiguel
   Posted August 31, 2007 at 2:15 pm | Permalink

   … in fact, I think that the ROK government owes it to the Afghan government, its sovereign nation friends and allies to NOT honor a deal made with a terrorist organization inside Afghan territory.

   Treating the Taliban with the same respect as a national government shouldn’t sit well with that nation’s government.

8. The Goat
   Posted August 31, 2007 at 11:07 pm | Permalink

   They recognized it for what it was - a complete sellout of your supposed allies.

9. WangKon936
   Posted September 1, 2007 at 12:51 am | Permalink

   The Taliban cannot be made to look like the primary beneficiary here.

   The Korean government should honor the agreement, but should also replace the engineering unit with a sizable combat unit as well as a hospital and/or construction unit and increase foreign aid funding to the Karzai government.

10. R. Elgin
    Posted September 1, 2007 at 10:14 am | Permalink

    I also note the NY Times article that summarizes the aftereffects as well:

    article.
    The only sympathy noted was from one of the anti-war (pro-NK) groups and:

    ‘Of course, the country has a duty to protect its people, but I’m worried that the status of South Korea will slip a lot in the international community,” said Kim Kwang-ho, 32, an employee at a consulting firm.

    Local media also raised concerns about the ramifications of any ransom being paid. A senior Afghan official close to the negotiations alleged Friday the South Koreans had paid money to win their release.

    Overall, the Roh Administration placed internal politics over international concerns. These people can not win for losing it seems. If Roh had a grenade, he would pull the fuse pin and throw the pin as far from him as he could.