SKorea tells Taliban it has limited influence

Seoul, Aug 3: The South Korean government has told Taliban insurgents holding 21 Koreans there is a limit to what it can do to resolve the hostage stand-off that has stretched into a third week, an official said today.

There has been some contact with the Taliban, and a South Korean delegation arrived yesterday in the Afghan province where the Koreans are held hostage to try to hold direct talks with the kidnappers.

''Through our contacts, our foremost goal is to make it clear that there is a limit as to what our government can do to meet their demands of releasing the prisoners,'' presidential spokesman Chun Ho-sun told reporters.

In Afghanistan, a Taliban spokesman said today the group has had contacts with the Korean team by phone and has yet to agree about a venue for holding direct talks.

The spokesman, Qari Mohammad Yousuf, told Reuters by phone that the insurgents preferred to hold the negotiations in an area they control, and vouched for the safety of the Korean delegates.

He also said the group would deliberate over an offer by a team of private Afghan doctors who have volunteered to treat the remaining hostages, two of whom are reported to be seriously ill.

The Taliban have killed two of their male hostages, accusing the Afghan government of not negotiating in good faith and ignoring their demand to release rebel prisoners. The remaining hostages include 18 women.

The Taliban have repeatedly threatened to kill the rest if their demands are not met.

Separately, eight South Korean lawmakers met State Department officials in Washington on Thursday to seek help.

''We have confirmed the complete support and sympathy for the Korean hostages who are going through great distress,'' lawmaker Park Jin told reporters after the meeting.

The South Korean government has called for ''flexibility'', a comment analysts say is directed at the United States to sway the Afghan government to strike a deal with the kidnappers.

There have been calls among many left-leaning politicians for the United States to use its influence to resolve the issue but Washington has stood firm in its refusal to make concessions with groups, such as the Taliban, it considers terrorists.

Others in South Korea have warned such pressure could strain ties.

''We assess the United States is actively cooperating by all its means as best as it can. This is not a matter that should lead to anti-US problems,'' the presidential spokesman said.

Reuters>