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| Moving inland: Taliban fighters, like those shown here, have moved away from the Pakistani border, taking control of major Afghan roads. Saee Ali Achakzai/Reuters/file |
Taliban move closer to Kabul
The South Korean kidnapping brings to 60 the number of people taken in one Afghan province since April.
By Mark Sappenfield | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitorfrom the July 24, 2007 edition
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Kabul, Afghanistan - The kidnapping of 23 South Korean aid workers last week on one of Afghanistan's major highways is the latest evidence that the Taliban is extending its reach closer to the capital, Kabul.
The insurgency, which has blossomed in provinces bordering Pakistan – where the Taliban is widely believed to receive support – is spreading inland.
The bus load of South Korean aid workers was taken in Ghazni Province, which has no border with Pakistan yet has become the "kidnapping capital of the country," according to Nic Lee, director of the Afghanistan NGO Safety Office (ANSO) in Kabul. By his count, 60 people have been kidnapped in the southern province since April 1.
Also last week, two German aid workers were kidnapped in Wardak Province, which borders Ghazni and is even further removed from Pakistan. One has died, though the circumstances of his death remain disputed.
It suggests that the Taliban have consolidated enough power in border provinces to strike farther north, with an eye toward ringing Kabul from the south. Few analysts say that Kabul itself is in danger of direct attack, and none say it is in any danger of falling. But the situation echoes what happened to the Soviets two decades ago, when they maintained control of the cities and little else.
"Ghazni is important as the gateway to Kabul, and control of that road is very important, both symbolically and practically," says Joanna Nathan, a Kabul-based security analyst for the International Crisis Group.
The Taliban had set a deadline of 7 p.m. local time (10:30 a.m. Eastern time) Monday for authorities to meet their demands – the swap of Taliban prisoners for hostages. On Monday, the deadline was extended by 24 hours. The Afghan National Army says it has surrounded the area where the hostages are being held and is ready to act. But South Korean negotiators, who have flown into the country, and Afghan elders are pressing hard for a peaceful settlement.
Their task has been made more difficult by the precedent set by the release of Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo, experts say. He was kidnapped earlier this year, then set free in exchange for several high-ranking Taliban hostages.
In Wardak, one of the two Germans kidnapped last week has been confirmed dead. The Taliban says it executed both men Saturday; German officials say one remains alive and the other died from the stress of his detainment.
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