Posted on 09/01/2007 7:11:21 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
I don’t know the truth, but I do know that if I was the Taliban, and I’d just released some hostages, I sure would claim I’d been paid. What a great way to spread divisiveness among my enemies.
I don’t see that with Afganistan so much better off than under the taliban and so much freedom given to their people. It’s sad that you don’t hear and see all of the great things that are happening in Afganistan and Iraq. The msm is falling down on the job badly.
We have reasons to distrust Talibans. On the other hand, I also have reasons to distrust S. Korean government. This pay-off allegation now has a potential to become a major political scandal in S. Korea. Many here have been suspecting government pay-off.
” I also have reasons to distrust S. Korean government”
I know. I don’t trust them either.
Sheesh!
Suspecting?
Well, hell, I thought that there was no basis at all for believing the terrorists instead of our allies. Now I understand. Please accept my apologies for thinking that you guys were reacting without any solid evidence. I should have known better — after all, this isn’t DU.
WHAT?!? Japan is America's best ally in Asia. We share common interests with South Korea in that we both oppose the North Korea regime, and we are somewhat wary of Chinese and Russian interests in the region. Keep in mind we don't have friends in the world, but we have allies who share at least some of our interests.
But Japan has no army to back that up, while South Korea does have an Army (a pretty good one too).
You’ve GOT to be kidding! Did you forget to add the “sarcasm” identifier.
South Korea has fought right next to the U.S. forces in every conflict we’ve engaged in since the end of WWII. Prior to that time, they were suffering under Japanese occupation for decades.
Japan, of course, has no real military, but even if they did, they would never, ever have fought beside U.S. troops unless their own national security was in jeopardy — that’s very clear. And, since the 60’s, their pacifist elements have succeeded in closing all significant American military presence in Japan.
I repeat, and am deadly serious, South Korea has been America’s best friend on the Pacific Rim for decades - only the Philippine Islands history keeps me from saying they’ve been our best friend in that region forever.
Those people are not friends.
Financing/Arming our friggin enemies!!!!!
Let’s get out of Korea by 2010.
I suspect that you are a young buck who took occasional naps in history classes.
What the SK government did was very wrong to negotiate with the terrorists, period, whether they paid any ransom or not as the rumors suggest. I do understand why they did it, IF they did it at all. You see, Coreans have this klanish mentaliy... One of their own is in trouble, the entire 48 million Coreans suffer together. Just as they felt collective shame when that evil bastard murdered the 32 innocent young here. And they all share this common pride when one of “their own” do good, i.e., a golfer Choi, a skater Kwan, etc., just as he/she is their own family member. But that does not excuse them from negotiating with the bleep bleep terrorists.
Japaneses are not our friends, my FRiend. They declared economic war on US since WWII and they have been winning a lot of the battles. They are very good at copying things. Their own language is a simplified copy of the Chinese language, for example. Have you seen the Chevy Z series trucks that the toyota and honda and whatever else from there came up with? Blatant copy cats, they are.
BTY, for those of you who will surely point out that I spelled Corean wrong, you have to be a Corean to understand it.
PINg
I recently read a statement by a Taliban spokesman in a Korean newspaper. He said something to the effect that “this method (kidnapping) has proven effective, so we will certainly consider using it again.” Wish I could find the exact quote.
Spreading the Word of God.
Yup. First Italy then Korea.......
I have nothing against Christians engaging in missionary work, but the fact remains that Afghanistan and Iraq are both very dangerous places for non-Muslims. Any such people who go there without taking adequate security precautions are not only putting themselves in danger but are also endangering the mission because our troops now have to focus on freeing hostages in addition to killing more enemy scumbags.
How many more of our troops will die, and how much longer now will we have to be in Afghanistan now that the enemy has $20 million more to work with?
There's a shocker.
Thanks for the ping!
It’s odd how this discussion devolved so quickly into an assessment of the relative value of our allies. Hate to remind folks that the French are our allies, too — nominally, but that they are (and getting better under the new leadership). If you look at it the other way around, the U.S. is a pretty tricky nation to be allied with. But that’s other peoples’ problems, and not ours, so screw it.
Who’s seriously going to measure the value of the South Korean friendship based upon this one (possible or not) event? Think: what were those missionaries doing there in the first place?
We should honor the S. Korean penninsula for having held high an unyielding beacon through an otherwise dark, dark past century.
Thanks for your input, Nicollo. It doesn’t take much for people to ever so passionately declare, “NUKE’EM!” or “GOD BLESS THEM!” depending on the current topic posted without considering the entire history/background, etc.
But then again, this is the internet where people can hide behind their screen names and be an ignorant bully one moment and be a thoughtful human being the next, depending on their mood at the time.
The French did help us in the past, (duh?), but I am guilty of poking fun at them since 9/11 and I shouldn’t have.
Oh, Roh sucks... He sucks Kalifornia lemon, man. But he no more represents the Coreans than Klintoon did Americans when he was the woody prez.
SO NICE to have a voice of reason here. Thanks friend.
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