But in the days after the crisis ended, questions arose about whether the Taliban was actually part of the solution or part of the problem. Like the five unnamed hijackers, the extremist Islamic movement wants to expel India from Kashmir. Some of the 159 released passengers said that the hijackers acquired additional weapons after the plane landed in Afghanistan. During the standoff the gunmen also dramatically increased their ransom demands, asking for $200 million, among other things. That gave the Taliban a chance to look statesmanlike by forcing the hijackers to scale back their demands. And despite the murder of one passenger, the Taliban allowed the hijackers to slip away. They did so, having achieved their original goal: the release of the three prisoners held by India.
