Taleban Deny Pakistan Complicity; Say Losing Patience with Korean Gov't

The USG Open Source Center translates two press reports from a fundamentalist newspaper in Peshawar in which the Taleban deny the allegation of an Afghan official that Pakistani forces are helping hold the South Korean hostages; and in which they warn they are losing patience with the S. Korean government's response to their demands with regard to their hostages.

Afghan Taleban spokesman denies Pakistanis among those holding Koreans
Afghan Islamic Press
Sunday, August 5, 2007

Afghan Taleban spokesman denies Pakistanis among those holding Koreans

Text of report by private Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news agency

Kandahar, 5 August: The Taleban have denied a statement by the governor of Ghazni. . . Taleban spokesman Qari Yusof Ahmadi gave Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) a call from an unknown location this afternoon and dismissed the statement by Ghazni Governor Merajodin Patan, who said that the South Korean hostages are now under the control of Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI).

He said: "The governor has plenty of good equipment. If someone was really interpreting his words into Urdu, why did he not record the conversation? If he has recorded the conversation, let him reveal it."
He added: "Merajodin Patan went to Ghazni Province full of hope, but it is now 20 days since people were taken hostage in his province and he cannot do anything about it. Therefore, he is now levelling various accusations and wants to hide his failure by words. Patan himself had said that the Americans had not allowed him to exchange the prisoners."

Qari Yusof said: "There are no Taleban from Pakistan or other country with us. They all are Afghans."

When he was asked with emphasis whether there are Pakistani Taleban with them or not, he answered: "No. The Pakistani Taleban are not free to come here. They have plenty to do in Pakistan."

It should be mentioned that the governor of Ghazni Province had said in an interview with an international media outlet that the Korean hostages are now under the control of Pakistani Taleban and ISI. As a proof of his allegation, the governor had said that when he was talking to a Taleban member by phone, the Taleban member was translating his words into Urdu for other Taleban.

(Description of Source: Peshawar Afghan Islamic Press in Pashto -- Peshawar-based agency, staffed by Afghans. The agency used to have good contacts with Taliban leadership; however, since the fall of the Taliban regime, it now describes itself as independent and self-financing).

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Taleban losing patience with South Korean government - spokesman
Afghan Islamic Press
Sunday, August 5, 2007

Taleban losing patience with South Korean government - spokesman

Kandahar, 5 August: The Taleban regard South Korea's efforts for freeing the hostages as imperfect.

Taleban spokesman Qari Yusof Ahmadi gave Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) a call from an unknown location at noon and said regarding the S Korean hostages: "The South Korean government contacted us by phone again today. We are frequently told that South Korea is making efforts to convince the Americans to free the Taleban prisoners and the UN to offer the guarantee."

Qari Yusof added: "We do not consider the efforts of the S Korean government as adequate. Their efforts are defective because they have not yet officially requested the UN to offer the guarantee."
He warned: "The Taleban are now feeling hopeless about the efforts of the S Korean government. We will start killing the hostages when we become completely impatient."

When he was asked how many more days they could wait, he answered: "If we had become totally hopeless about the efforts of the South Korean government today, we could have started killing them."

(Description of Source: Peshawar Afghan Islamic Press in Pashto -- Peshawar-based agency, staffed by Afghans. The agency used to have good contacts with Taliban leadership; however, since the fall of the Taliban regime, it now describes itself as independent and self-financing)