Tuesday, August 14, 2007

So. Korean Hostages - Update

After a meeting between So. Korean officials and members of the Taliban, the Taliban released 2 of the 23 So. Korean aid workers it had earlier taken hostage.

The Taliban already has killed 2 of the hostages, so there are still 19 being held.

Here's a story.

Something interesting to note in this story: The Taliban kidnapped the So. Koreans in an attempt to barter for the release of captured Taliban militants. But in this particular story, from al Jazeera, the writer refers to the captured Taliban also as "hostages."

That's interesting, and is a good lesson for readers -- you have to know where your info is coming from, because perception is everything. Al Jazeera calls the detained Taliban "hostages" while other news outlets call them "captured militants."

You have to recognize these things, because they show important differences in perception, and how the information you read can be presented differently depending on who is presenting it.

It's no wonder the area is in such turmoil if the basic thought process there so easily blurs the lines between soldier and civilian.

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