Afghanistan again rules out prisoner swap for SKoreans

GHAZNI (AFP) - An Afghan negotiator Saturday again ruled out a prisoner exchange to free 21 South Koreans held by the Taliban, saying it was against the policy of Afghanistan and the United States.

Talks to free the group of aid workers, most of them said to be ill, are being conducted mainly by South Korea and could only involve settling on a ransom payout, parliamentarian Mahmood Gailani told AFP.

"Not only the Americans are opposed to an exchange of prisoners, it's against the policy of the government," he said.

"The talks are now mainly by South Koreans. They can only talk about money, ransom," he added.

Days earlier Gailani described negotiations between the Afghan government and hardline rebels as "stuck".

The Taliban hardliners have shot dead two of the 23 South Koreans who were kidnapped on July 19 while travelling on the highway between Kandahar and Kabul on a church aid mission.

The militants have threatened to kill more if at least eight of their men are not released from Afghan and US jails.

South Korea is lobbying the United States for help in ending the group's ordeal, most of whom are women with two said to be gravely ill.