Italian reporter kidnapped: ACCUSED SPY
... along with two of the "Fixers" who were helping him enter a controversial Taliban-controlled area in Afghanistan. One of the fixers, identified as Ajmal, is a Lightstalkers member, which is how I heard about this incident. His LS profile shows that he hasn't been very active on the forum lately.
Considering La Repubblica's notorious leftward cant, it'd be interesting to know what reporter Daniele Mastrogiacomo was investigating. Hopefully, when he is returned safely from captivity, we will find out. I hope and pray for their safety, and look forward to hearing more from them as soon as they are released.
Update: UH OH! Apparently, the latest word on the wires is that, "A voice recording of a man claiming to be top Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah has said an Italian journalist captured by the militants has confessed to spying for the British military." This is not good.
It did just occur to me that this could be an orchestrated campaign by the Taliban to try and "coerce" embattled Italian Premier Prodi into accelerating Italy's withdrawal from Afghanistan. Not that anything like that has ever happened before...
This is not looking good on quite a few levels.
The Taleban say they have kidnapped an Italian journalist and two Afghan nationals in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.
A source close to a regional Taleban commander told the BBC that the three men were seized after entering an area of Helmand without permission.
He accused them of spying and said they were being detained at a Taleban base.
Considering La Repubblica's notorious leftward cant, it'd be interesting to know what reporter Daniele Mastrogiacomo was investigating. Hopefully, when he is returned safely from captivity, we will find out. I hope and pray for their safety, and look forward to hearing more from them as soon as they are released.
Update: UH OH! Apparently, the latest word on the wires is that, "A voice recording of a man claiming to be top Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah has said an Italian journalist captured by the militants has confessed to spying for the British military." This is not good.
It did just occur to me that this could be an orchestrated campaign by the Taliban to try and "coerce" embattled Italian Premier Prodi into accelerating Italy's withdrawal from Afghanistan. Not that anything like that has ever happened before...
This is not looking good on quite a few levels.
