(For folks reading the comment section, the original title of this post was Americans avenge murdered Koreans in Afghanistan.)
Mullah Abdullah Jan, the Taliban commander who led the kidnappings of 23 Korean hostages in Afghanistan, was killed in an air strike by U.S. forces…
…According to the Afghan government, at least four other Taliban leaders who were involved in the kidnappings have been killed this month, including Mullah Mateen, a commander under Abdullah.
In related news, perhaps the Korean embassy in Kabul could give this guy a job (same link):
Meanwhile, Mehra Juddin Patan, the governor of Ghazni province who spoke for the Afghan government during the hostage crisis, was dismissed on Tuesday.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai reproached Patan for embarrassing Afghanistan by allowing the Taliban to hold a press conference after face-to-face talks to release the hostages with a Korean government representative.
33 Comments
Andy, the way you wrote that headline links to an earlier post you had on this subject. The tacit pride makes me think you wish you were there doing the killin’ yourself.
For me, the best angle to look at regarding this has nothing to do with vengeance. Rather than say “Americans Avenge Murdered Koreans” I would write the headline “Americans Send Strong Message to Would-be Kidnappers”. “Fuck with us and you’ll get yours.” If you write it like that, then you get the chance to say something useful while still allowing your inner GI Joe to manifest itself.
I agree that avenge is the wrong word and vengeance the wrong concept here. Mullah Abdullah Jan would be coalition target even without his role in the evangelists’ abductions and killings, even if that made his violent demise all the more becoming.
I’d like to see the word crusade worked into the headline.
Crusade, the real Red Cross™…
How about “Kidnapping leaders enjoying their 72 virgins”
Actually, I had a reason for that title, which I guess was a little too obscure. Perhaps I should have written “Korean government leaves retribution for the murder of its citizens to Americans.”
On second thought, I will change the title to make mjw and p. a. happy.
How about “Have fun spending that $20 million in hell”?
Sardonic Joshua raises an interesting point over there: Will we see protests against this in Korea?
A shame that the $20 million will be spent on all-too-real weapons on this Earth.
zionist-crusaders?
Will the US get any thanks for this?
#9 Silly wabbit…
Has there been any report in the Korean media that says the government in fact paid a ransom of any amount? I presume the ROK government has maintained a denial and that the Afghan and US governments have not said otherwise…
Andy,
Don’t know what your beef is with the Korean gov’t for doing what it had to do to get the hostages released. I guess you would prefer if they had stayed in Taliban custody?
I wonder if any Korean news sites are even covering this at all, or they probably stuffed it to page 10.
Titles like these probably wouldn’t sell much in Korea, “Americans do the dirty work that Korea doesn’t have the balls to do,” or “Like always, the American military comes to serve justice.”
Isn’t it nice you can use this blog to voice your anger at the Korean for allowing other Koreans to live?
‘Titles like these probably wouldn’t sell much in Korea, “Americans do the dirty work that Korea doesn’t have the balls to do,” or “Like always, the American military comes to serve justice.”’
Here are some titles that would sell:
‘EXPAT COMMUNITY WANTS KOREANS HOSTAGES DEAD’
‘AMERICA MORE CONCERNED WITH PRINCIPLES THAN LIVES OF HOSTAGES’
‘COLONEL NORTH EXPRESSES OUTRAGE AT KOREA’S HANDLING OF HOSTAGE SITUATION’
‘CARING EXPATS IN KOREA SAY: WE WANT TO TO TEACH YOU HOW TO BE A HYPOCRITE.’
Just you wait. I’ll bet the Roh administration will take some kind of credit for the killing of the Taliban kidnappers…. “We worked closely with Coalition forces to help them blah blah blah” or some kind of transparent B.S. like that. Of course, we all know that President Roh basically wet his pants for 43 days straight.
You forgot this potential headline, hopefully coming soon to a paper near you:
US TROOPS LEAVE KOREA; RELIEF WIDESPREAD AMONG AMERICAN PUBLIC
Washington (AP) — The US President announced that as a result of the reconciliation between the two Koreas, it was no longer necessary for US troops to be stationed in the ROK, exposed to potential war with North Korea.
Agreement was widespread amongst the Korean public, who when questioned agreed unanimously that it was unthinkable that there could ever be another war between the two estranged brother nations…”
There won’t be any war between the Koreas, Paul.
As for removing American troops, your assumption that I would be fearful of a US withdrawal is ridiculous. North Korea would lose a war with South Korea with or without the US.
Just think of all that wealth the North Korean soldier will find south of the DMZ. He’ll realize his government lies as he remembers watching his sister starve to death.
The last thing the North would want to do is start a war that would start the end of its existence.
Andy, maybe I’m just thick, but I just don’t get the zionist-crusader thing. Care to explain that? Or, are you just going out of your way to be offensive now? What gives?
Couldn’t agree more pawi. That’s why we need to withdraw our troops ASAP; once ROK citizens don’t have to put with “occupiers” any more it’ll make for better spirits all around (to include the commenters on this board).
#19
I think its pretty obvious Andy had his tounge planted firmly in cheek when he said “zionist-crusader”
Planting your tongue firmly in your cheek doesn’t give your words extra meaning. Are the US troops to be viewed as a bunch of Jews trying to carve out a “god-given” homeland for themselves among the rocky terrain in Afghanistan?
re:#15: “CARING EXPATS IN KOREA SAY: WE WANT TO TO TEACH YOU HOW TO BE A HYPOCRITE”
Because there’s never been a case of hypocrisy in five millenia of homogeneity here on the peninsula, has there?
‘SOUTH KOREAN COMMUNITY WANTS KOREANS IN NORTH TO REMAIN IN TORTURE CAMPS’
‘KOREA MORE CONCERNED WITH “KIBUN” THAN LIVES OF NORTH KOREANS’
‘KIM DAE JUNG EXPRESSES OUTRAGE AT CRITICISM OF KIM JUNG IL’
‘KOREANS SAY: WE ENJOY LIVING AS HYPOCRITES’
Ici New Jersey, les Koréens parlent aux Koréens !
Indeed you have nothing to fear, NK nukes can’t reach the Garden State™ — which maybe is not that much of A Good Thing™…
“Ici au New Jersey, les Coréens parlent en Coréen”?
I don’t think that’s what Andy was trying to say. As Dr. Yen Lo said in the “Manchurian Candidate, “A little humor, my dear Zilkov, always with a little humor.”
I don’t think he’s trying to say that either, because it makes no sense. but… sorry, the humor just escapes me.
by the way, robert… really needed you at city hall yesterday…naming advisory cte. for the new “flea market” they’re going to build when they move the one that is currently in 동대문 stadium. if you haven’t already, you have to see the scheme they’re cooking up.^^
That mind-boggling, eh? I can’t wait to see the plans.
not mind-boggling just, how shall i say…”grand” for a flea market.
@24 You forgot one.
“SOUTH KOREANS TO EXPAND KAESONG INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX TO ENABLE MORE MONEY TO BE SENT DIRECTLY TO NORKS DO WITH AS THEY PLEASE, FOR EXAMPLE DEVELOPING NUCLEAR WEAPONS”
maybe that was a little long.
Here are a couple more potential headlines:
SEOUL ATTEMPTS TO BRUTALLY CRUSH TALIBAN KIDNAPPERS WITH ENORMOUS PILES OF CASH.
SEOUL SUMMIT WITH NORTH KOREAN MURDERERS TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER AVENGING TALIBAN MURDERERS BECAUSE “HEY, IT’S FAMILY.”
PRESIDENT ROH ODDLY FLATTERED BY RAPE OF KOREAN HOSTAGES.
PRESIDENT ROH SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING ISLAMIC CONVERSION.
I forgot a few more headlines:
GOVERNMENT IN SEOUL OUTLAWS ALL AFGHAN BLANKETS.
PRESIDENT ROH DINES ON AFGHAN HOUND IN SHOW OF DEFIANCE.
PRESIDENT ROH WETS PANTS FOR 43 DAYS, THEN SENT DRY CLEANING BILL TO EX-HOSTAGES.
“PRESIDENT ROH PROUDLY PROCLAIMS WINNING THE RELEASE OF ALL HOSTAGES, BUT CONCEDES TWO WERE “FREED” AS CORPSES.”
“ROH TASK FORCE FINDS DECEASED HOSTAGES DIED OF NATURAL CAUSES.”
“SEOUL TAKES GREAT PAINS TO POINT OUT THAT U.S. MISSILES THAT KILLED TALIBAN KIDNAPPERS HAD KOREAN MICROPROCESSORS.”
“IN A SIGN OF BRAVADO, PRESIDENT ROH USES SQUIRTING CARNATION IN LAPEL ON AFGHANI AND U.S. LEADERS.”
“PRESIDENT ROH HAS CEILING LOWERED IN BLUE HOUSE TO 4 FT. TO ACCOMODATE HIS PERPETUAL KNEELING POSITION.”