Afghan Kidnappers Mull Fate of UN Hostages

 

By Michael Kitchen

Afghan kidnappers¹ holding three foreign United Nations workers hostage say they are now considering whether to kill, hold or release their captives. The Afghan government is hopeful the hostages will be freed, but is keeping quiet about reported negotiations³.

Several leaders of the Jaish-e Muslimeen, or Muslim Army, say they may soon decide to execute the three foreign U.N. workers, but could also keep them captive for months or even years.

In shifting statements to international news organizations, the kidnappers say negotiations for the hostages' release are now focused on the freeing of 26 fighters loyal to Afghanistan's former Taleban regime, who are now imprisoned⁴ in the country.

The kidnappers had originally also demanded the pull-out of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan, and the release of Taleban prisoners in U.S. custody⁵.
But earlier this month, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said Washington would stick to its policy of not negotiating with kidnappers, and recent Jaish-e Muslimeen statements have not reiterated⁶ demands on the United States.

The kidnappers have repeatedly set and then canceled deadlines for their conditions to be met.

The hostages - a Kosovar woman, an Irish-British woman and a Filipino man - had been helping⁷ organize Afghan elections when they were taken from their car at gunpoint last month.

Speaking Tuesday, Afghan presidential spokesman Javid Luddin said he could not offer details of the government's efforts to free the hostages but said he was generally optimistic.

"We continue to be hopeful that we can do that. However, I think we have to all wait and see how this unfolds."

The abduction has caused concern among international relief organizations across Afghanistan.

The non-profit International Rescue Committee's Mideast and Asia director, Mark Bartolini, says aid agencies are all taking new security measures.

"I think it's fair to say that all organizations are reacting to that in some form or another," he said.

He says that despite the kidnapping, safety conditions in Afghanistan are much the same as they were before last month's presidential election.

"Well, I don't know that I would go so far as to say [the situation is] getting better, but it isn't getting any worse, which in itself is a good thing," he said.

He says security will remain a concern in the run-up to Afghanistan's first post-war legislative⁸ elections, scheduled for March or April.

Michael Kitchen, VOA News, Islamabad.

注释：
captive 俘虏
negotiation² 谈判
Jaish-e Muslimeen 穆斯林军
execute 处死
freeing 解除
regime 政权
pull-out 撤退
custody 监禁
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State 美国副国务卿
reiterate 重申
deadline 最终期限
Filipino 菲律宾人
optimistic 乐观的
abduction 诱导
International Rescue Committee 国际营救委员会
legislative 立法的
Islamabad 伊斯兰堡

1 kidnappers   

n.拐子，绑匪( kidnapper的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They were freed yesterday by their kidnappers unharmed. 他们昨天被绑架者释放了，没有受到伤害。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The kidnappers had threatened to behead all four unless their jailed comrades were released. 帮匪们曾经威胁说如果印度方面不释放他们的同伙，他们就要将这四名人质全部斩首。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

3 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

4 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

5 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

6 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。