Taliban Kidnaps Korean Volunteers

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070721/ap_on_re_as/afghan_kidnappings

There does not seem to be an end in sight to the supposed "War on Terror" as various factions are engaging in warfare in an attempt to establish themselves as the superior religious sect. The unfortunate reality is that such tension is among elites for power, but it is the innocent civilians who are in harm's way. With the death skyrocketing, one can only pray that the US stops throwing fuel into the fire and actually takes steps to ease the tensions that currently exist.

Innocent individuals, either residents of a Middle Eastern nation or are there for their occupation, are constantly being targetted and utilized as leverage for the radical faction to attain some type of short-term goal in this never-ending struggle. Well, it seems the Taliban have taken a different turn of events as they have now abducted 18 Korean Christians who have decided to volunteer themselves to assist those who are in need. It is horrible that such a group of individuals are now in the hands of the Taliban, even though they pose absolutely no threat to them or the Taliban mission. The fact that these innocent individuals have been adbucted (even though they came with only good intentions) just goes to show how devastating the situation is over there. We cannot even send volunteers to aide those in need without fear of being attacked by someone who believes that there must be an ulterior motive to why any foreigner would come to the Middle East.

There has been controversy in that the Korean Christians were proselytizing in a predominantly Muslim region and that such actions were deemed unacceptable to those residing in the nation. Evidently, religion does play a substantial component in the war that is taking place over there, but that alone does not justify the abduction of these Korean volunteers, who only intended to be in the Middle East for a short period of time to do volunteer work. Now, their lives are at stake as the Taliban has demanded that either S.Korea withdraws its troops from Middle East combat or these innocent individuals' lives are in stake. The war has evidently gotten out of hand and it is devastating to imagine what these poor individuals must be feeling now as they are under the jurisdiction of the Taliban and their radical ways.

The conditions are horrible to imagine and each day, the demands of the war are escalating with the lives of innocent troops and civilians thrown in harm's way just to fulfill the power-hungry nature of the elites who seem to have some stake in this constant power struggle. It is comforting to know that there are people who are willing to risk their lives to help those who are in great need of aid. Let us hope for the best for those Korean citizens who have been abducted and that they are released safely.