Comments on: Ransom Is Not a Countermeasure

By: Michelle Malkin » South Korean Christian hostage crisis: Rescue attempt

Michelle Malkin » South Korean Christian hostage crisis: Rescue attempt — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:23:44 +0000

[...] Joshua Stanton at One Free Korea: “If youâ€™re practiced at prayer, this would be a good time.” Joshua presaged the rescue bid yesterday in “Ransom is not a countermeasure:” “Talk of yielding to their demands will only get more people kidnapped and killed.” [...]

By: usinkorea

usinkorea — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 02:06:46 +0000

Letting the US ops do it would be perfect cover. If it went well, he (well, Roh would have a harder time than others, but a generic “he”) could claim leadership – that he was working behind the scenes with the Americans (and any type of contact on the affair could be ginned up that way) — and if it all went to hell, he could express regret the Americans did not listen to his public call for negociations and time but — not do so too much to the extent the Americans decided to speak out.

If the rescue mission turned to crap, he could both say he wished more time had been given and call on Koreans not to hurt the feelings of a necessary ally by playing anti-Americanism.

It really should not be terribly difficult for a reasonable politican (I use the term in its pejorative sense) in South Korea’s position to cut out a win-win position….

Hand the deal over to the US behind the scenes and wait for the outcome. If it works, say it was your leadership. If it fails, deflect blame but also show leadership by calling for not too much anti-US sentiment. Maybe fly to Washington – win or lose – and show how the alliance is still strong – regardless of the outcome……

Some might point out how you said at the start of your career you wouldn’t go to the US just for a photo op and/or to Kow-tow…..but hey……I said a “generic” Korean president should be able to work this into a win-win – and even Roh could do it if he tried, I think…

By: Gerry

Gerry — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:05:34 +0000

I suspect the kidnapers have been located and are being watched. It takes time to get the right people (Delta) in place with a plan that has some hope of sucess. Once that has been accomplished it is the individual governments who chose to go ahead or not. I suspect Roh will wait til its too late, as he feels to allow the Americans to do what he cannot ,would be losing face for him and his anti American policy. To make a decision when all his options are exhausted , would put any rescue attempt in jeopordy, and the likelyhood of many of the hostages dieing. The time for a rescue attempt is when the Taliban least expect it. During negotiations. Roh isn’t very bright, but you can be sure he knows who to blame if anything goes wrong. Hes the consumate idiot politician, whose main concern will be what the political outcome will be and how can he manage it.

By: Mark

Mark — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 22:30:15 +0000

This pussification of South Korea…I wonder if the DPRK is paying attention.

By: UPDATE: Hostage Confirmed Killed, Anti-US Movement Hopes to Capitolize at ROK Drop

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 21:22:42 +0000

[...] The Roh Moo-hyun administration is extremely unpopular in Korea and judging by internet chat sites, the Korean public has seen this blame America game one too many times and aren’t readily falling for it this time.Â The next few weeks is going to be quite interesting to see how this all plays out, but expect the anti-US movement to continue to try and capitolize off this tragedy, digusting but true.Â [...]

By: Sonagi

Sonagi — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 21:19:03 +0000

I had another thought. Roh government and the media aren’t berating the Taliban for the same reason I’m not. It would be pointless and probably counterproductive. The Taliban are one of a handful of organized groups beyond the reach of Korean netizens.

By: Janus

Janus — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 17:36:04 +0000

Speaking of The Glorious Democratically Elected General, you might like this:

“Kim Jong Il’s Approval Rating Plummets to 120%”

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/in_the_know_kim_jong_ils_approval

By: Janus

Janus — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 17:33:19 +0000

The chuzpah award of the day goes toâ€¦

The Peopleâ€™s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy! (the what? maybe it sounds better in Korean)

They say â€œNow why canâ€™t [Korea] use the spirit of the alliance to help persuade the U.S. administration and save its own people?â€

Oh, gee, I donâ€™t know, because youâ€™ve gleefully shat on it for the last 5 years or so?

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/31/asia/afghan.2-106437.php?page=2

By: Sonagi

Sonagi — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 17:18:23 +0000

“Sonagiâ€™s translations suggesting that the Taliban are catching most of the rage in the chat rooms, as they should.”

Right now it’s the inept, pleading Roh government that is catching the most flak. A Kyunghang Shinmun piece on the government’s latest and most plaintative plea for international (read: US) help at Naver has drawn a litany of snide responses from Korean netizens. Among the top rec’d posts, there was one possibly facetious one-liner blaming the US for the hostages getting into a dangerous situation and there was another questioning why Korea, which contributed troops along with Japan, Germany, and others, wasn’t getting assistance. The remaining US-related posts said things like:

“Why is this the US’ responsibility? Why do we pay taxes and fund a military then?”

“Once again, anti-Americanism from the Left”

“Our government trying to dump blame onto the US instead of solving the problem”

“The Roh government’s solution to the problem? More candle vigils?”

“Quit hesitating and waiting for international help. Let’s just pay ransom, launch a rescue mission or something. That’s what Koreans want.”

Korean netizens are angry, not at the US but at their own government. I suspect the government treads carefully in talking publicly about the Taliban because it does not want to ignite anti-Muslim, anti-Middle Eastern sentiments that may get in the way of South Korea’s cozy business interests in the Middle East. Muslims are already angry at the images of Koreans praying at a Muslim shrine and teaching Afghan children to recite praise of Jesus, something the Korean government apparently doesn’t want its citizens to know, for the Allahholy blogspot site is blocked. Koreans are noted for their unique demonstration culture, and I don’t think the Korean government wants any public displays that might upset countries which throw a lot of business to Korean construction and shipping firms.

By: usinkorea

usinkorea — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 14:32:22 +0000

As I noted in a comment yesterday, given the high profile nature of this event, and given the fact a significant number of kidnapping events have taken place over the past 12 months or so, if South Korea pays off the Taliban to free what ever remains of the hostages, it must start looking like open season on LG, Samsung, Hyundai and any other Koreans abroad who venture into nations where kidnappings occur.

And there is no way any Taliban fighters should be released.

There were some interesting articles out this past week on a Taliban commander who blew himself up rather than be captured at his base —– he was released from the US detention facility in Cuba.

Apparently, there is a more detailed report floating around somewhere about individuals released from Gitmo who have gone back to fight in Afghanistan or Iraq or reconnected with known terrorist orgs to help the training, fund raising, and other infrastructure needs of the loose terrorist networks.

I haven’t been watching the news closely, but I haven’t read much about that detailed report…..which of course I wouldn’t….

But, the US putting pressure on Afghanistan to release Taliban fighters in exchange for the Korean hostages should not happen unless it could be used somehow to track where the fighters go so forces could take out the groups they go back to working for….