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WORLD NEWSTuesday 6 October 2015

A man donates money at a tent of the Afghanistan 3rd Trend, a civil organization to help North Korea releases detained
displaced people from Kunduz, as its staff members work in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Oct.
5, 2015. Mohammad Omer Safi, the sacked former governor of Kunduz, whose capital city was South Korean student: report
seized by the Taliban last week, said Monday that he repeatedly warned the government that
Kunduz was vulnerable to attack and that his appeals to beef up protection fell on deaf ears, HYUNG-JIN KIM
deepening concerns that the Afghan leadership failed to act until it was too late. Associated Press
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Monday
(AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini) freed a South Korean national who is a student at
New York University, in a possible sign it wants better
US commander: ties with rival Seoul and may back away from a recent
threat to launch a long-range rocket later this month.
Afghans requested US airstrike in Kunduz North Korean state media said it “deported” Won
Moon Joo, 21, at the border village of Panmunjom
KABUL/WASHINGTON (AP) ports, which indicated that were in the hospital at the as a “humanitarian” measure about six months after
— Afghan forces who re- U.S. forces were threat- time of the airstrike, but he had been arrested for crossing the Chinese border
ported being under Taliban ened and that the airstrike that is in dispute. into North Korea. It didn’t elaborate.
fire requested the U.S. air- was called on their behalf.” On Sunday, NATO, under South Korean officials confirmed Joo’s repatriation.
strike that killed 22 people The clinic was operated by whose umbrella the U.S.- The National Intelligence Service, South Korea’s main
at a medical clinic in north- the medical charity Doc- led coalition operates in Af- spy agency, said it will investigate whether Joo violat-
ern Afghanistan over the tors Without Borders. The ghanistan, issued a state- ed the country’s anti-North Korean security law, which
weekend, the top com- attack killed at least 22 ment saying U.S. forces prohibits unapproved travel to the North.
mander of American and people and wounded doz- had conducted an airstrike Joo has permanent residency status in the Unit-
coalition forces in Afghani- ens more, setting the hospi- against “insurgents who ed States. The exact motivation for his travel to
stan said Monday, correct- tal on fire. were directly firing upon North Koreawasn’t clear.
ing an initial U.S. statement In response to Campbell’s U.S. service members” North Korea often uses detainees in attempts to win
that the strike had been remarks, the organization’s who were advising Afghan political concessions and aid from rivals Seoul and
launched because U.S. general director, Christo- forces in Kunduz. The state- Washington, and a South Korean analyst said it may
forces were threatened. pher Stokes, said the U.S. ment also said NATO was have calculated that since Joo’s alleged crime was
The strike wasn’t sought by had admitted that it at- undertaking a preliminary relatively minor, his release might boost the impover-
U.S. forces, Gen. John F. tacked the facility. assessment of the incident ished, authoritarian country’s international image and
Campbell said at a hastily “The U.S. military remains by a multi-national “ca- lead to more investment and tourism.
arranged Pentagon news responsible for the targets sualty assessment team,” Ten days ago, Joo was presented to the media in
conference. it hits, even though it is part and that it would produce Pyongyang and said he had not been able to con-
“We have now learned of a coalition,” Stokes said. initial results “in a matter of tact his family but wanted them to know he was
that on Oct. 3, Afghan “There can be no justifica- days.” healthy. For most of the 30-minute appearance,
forces advised that they tion for this horrible attack. The U.S. military is doing its he read a prepared — and probably coached —
were taking fire from ene- With such constant dis- own standard investigation speech praising the country, its government and
my positions and asked for crepancies in the U.S. and under the Uniform Code of people. Other foreigners who have been detained
air support from U.S. forc- Afghan accounts of what Military Justice. in North Korea have said after their release that they
es,” Campbell said. “An happened, the need for Campbell’s revised ac- were coached closely on what to say in such state-
airstrike was then called to a full transparent indepen- count does not clarify ments. Joo is one of four South Koreans known to be
eliminate the Taliban threat dent investigation is ever whether the clinic was tar- held in North Korea. The other three are accused of
and several civilians were more critical.” geted in error or whether more serious espionage acts or attempts to establish
accidentally struck. This is On Saturday, Afghan of- U.S. military personnel fol- underground Christian churches in the country.
different from the initial re- ficials said Taliban fighters lowed procedure.q The release comes amid speculation that North Ko-
rea may not go ahead with an earlier threat to launch
what it calls a satellite aboard a long-range rocket to
mark this week’s 70th birthday of its ruling party.
A launch would deepen an international stand-
off. The U.S., South Korea and their allies say
North Korea’slaunches are disguised tests of long-
range missile technology that are banned by the
United Nations. Recent commercial satellite imag-
ery, however, showed no signs of preparations at
the North’s main launch site. South Korean defense
officials also have seen no indication of an imminent
launch. The launch plans earlier cast doubt over a
possible easing in animosity between the Koreas. In
late August they agreed to resume the reunions of
families separated by the Korean War after ending a
military standoff caused by a mine blast on the bor-
der that the South blamed on the North. The blast seri-
ously injured two South Korean soldiers.q