Kabul
The Afghan government admitted this week that it traded five Taliban prisoners for the release of an Italian journalist held hostage. “It was an exceptional measure taken because we value our relations and friendship with Italy,” said presidential spokesman Karim Rahimi. Italy, which has 2,000 troops in Afghanistan, has often been suspected of negotiating with terrorists for hostages’ release. The U.S. and U.N. condemned the trade, saying terrorist demands should never be met. The Afghan Independent Journalists Association agreed. “Our concern is that after this kind of exchange the journalists will become a target; there will be more and more kidnappings by Taliban and al Qaida,” said the group’s president, Rahimullah Samander.
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