My bet on "negotiations"

Here's what I'm betting... representitives from the South Korean government will sit down with the Taliban, and the Taliban will jump at whatever offer will be made and release the hostages.

Why? It's simple, really... by releasing the hostages, the Taliban will play the left in the West like a fiddle, as cries will be heard from far and wide, including from the NDP here in Canada, "See? Negotitating with the Taliban works!"

This will serve to further errode Western support for the mission, assisting in speeding up the withdrawl of Western forces, including Canada. Once removed, the Taliban will turn their counter-insergency against the fledgeling Afghan government, and may end up successfully restoring their repressive and authoritarian rule over the nation.

Call me a pessimist...

I hope for the sakes of the Korean hostages that I'm right, and they'll be free shortly... and I hope I'm wrong about the errosion of Western support due to the Taliban's schemes.