My friend Shiqpe kidnapped a 10 days ago in Kabul along with two others probably does not think so. Infact I know she does not as I was having a drink with her a few days before and discusssing the elections. She as most is fully aware that elections (especially flawed ones) do not equal democracy. The problems have not been solved in Afghanistan. Drugs, warlords, Muslim fanatics, people angry at the way Americans have reated their women and stampled on their culture, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Uzbekistan and USA interferience are all still there. Shiqpe agreed with me on the state of the country and the US illegal presence here. One can sympathise for those kidnaped but when one knows them it becomes very personal and one feels fucking helpless to do anything to change things.

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Afghan hostage deadline extended
Three people believed to be the UN hostages
The three were helping to organise the presidential poll on 9 October

*Kidnappers who claim to be holding a Northern Ireland woman hostage in Afghanistan are reported to have extended a deadline on her fate. *

United Nations worker Annetta Flanigan, from Richhill in County Armagh, was kidnapped in Kabul by a hardline Islamic group last Thursday.

She had been helping to organise last month's presidential elections.

Afghan authorities say they do not know the whereabouts of Mrs Flanigan or two other UN workers held hostage with her.

*We continue our efforts to gain their release peacefully - progress has been made in this regard *
Lutfullah Mashal, Afghan interior ministry

The group holding the three is known as the Army of Muslims and is believed to be a splinter group of the Taliban movement.

The organisation had set a deadline of 1930 on Friday to decide whether the hostages lived or died, but it has now said the UN and Afghan government have until Saturday night to open negotiations.

The group has said it will kill the hostages if its demands for the release of prisoners from Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay are not met.

A spokesman for the group said they had been told the Afghan government would seek talks.

"We will again test the sincerity of the Afghan government and wait," he said. "We will judge their seriousness to know whether they honour their promise."

He did not say what would happen if the UN and Afghan government failed to meet the deadline.

Interior ministry spokesman Lutfullah Mashal said: "We know that they are still in Afghanistan but we don't know exactly where.

"We are trying to locate them."

Mr Mashal said there had been "progress" in seeking a "peaceful release" but would not elaborate.

"We continue our efforts to gain their release peacefully - progress has been made in this regard," he said.

"We ask those holding them to release them immediately and unharmed."