NYT Journalist David Rohde Recounts 7 Months In Taliban Captivity

nytimes.com:

The car's engine roared as the gunman punched the accelerator and we crossed into the open Afghan desert. I was seated in the back between two Afghan colleagues who were accompanying me on a reporting trip when armed men surrounded our car and took us hostage.

It was last Nov. 10, and I had been headed to a meeting with a Taliban commander along with an Afghan journalist, Tahir Luddin, and our driver, Asad Mangal. The commander had invited us to interview him outside Kabul for reporting I was pursuing about Afghanistan and Pakistan.

We reached a dry riverbed and the car stopped. "They're going to kill us," Tahir whispered. "They're going to kill us."

Read the whole story: nytimes.com

Comments

[Montana Educator]

After reading the Times' report of David Rhode's hostage situation in Afghanistan this week while visiting my family I am not surprised Americans are as ignorant as they are. This sensationalized account of a terrible hostage situation makes the average American citizen think that all Afghans are like the few Taliban reported about in this region. This nightmare ordeal takes place in one of the most dangerous areas along the Afghanista­n/Pakistan border, but most people who read the article are going to think that almost every Afghan citizen would treat hostages in this manner. Most of the Afghan people I have read about or I have seen on Mosaic and other documentaries reported on LinkTV are just regular people trying to survive who want nothing more then to raise their children in peace and become friends with the American people. It's a shame that the article does nothing to distinguish the few bad Afghans from the general populace and makes the most dangerous part of Afghanistan seem as normal as comparing the Bronx to Nassau County. And more amazing that I get better news in my little Montana cabin then I do when I come to Long Island.

[reevee]

A must read article

[Tulka2]

I know how this turns out because i read Dune. Only half kidding.

[Pema]

bless the maker and his water....

[Tulka2]

Pema, you know the secret. The people of the region were used in that novel. Their highest value is water and gardens. If we found a way to get them water and gardens, the Taliban would turn to dust.

[HamletsMill]

This is a first rate article and very important. I look forward to the next installments. It is very important that we understand the mentality of the Taliban. Especially their various tribal codes of honor. We must defeat them psychologically. Gun play with the 7th Century will not work in a war of attrition. Is anyone getting this in Washington, D.C. ?

[Tulka2]

Beware a military industrial complex without an enemy. This is a perfect enemy for the Empire. So manageable. Like a potted plant. And, oh, my dear, the money we will get to spend. Well, why not? There are no jobs here. Some young people just aren't suited to ask, "Do you want fries with that".

Bitterly yrs, Tulka2

[HamletsMill]

Tulka2,

Do not be so hard on me! I am one of your fans! I agree that MIC "business as usual" in Afghanistan will result in thermonuclear car bombs detonating in NYC and D.C. within 50 years. Everyone on Earth can see that coming as plain as day. But read my many posts on HP about Afghanistan and the possible alternative approach to make a real difference in fighting poverty and extremism and possibly stop that fate which is the path we are on now at 100 mph.

The Taliban (actually of our own creation as we all know) are an Islamist DMC culture plain and simple. (DMC = D*** Measuring Contest) I have had family with long experience in Afghanistan on the ground. You do not want to be a woman living under the Taliban. So why not outfox them at the grass roots level? Why not have a psychological understanding of what they want in life and play them?

I say implementing the Dream Team Caliphate and Sharia Law everywhere just means having a bigger d*** in the eyes of their tribal society.

We should be able to work with that mentality and prevail over the 7th Century Borg if we think this out and not go the MIC pigs at the trough model once again in our flat lined military history as was the case in Vietnam. If we cannot think outside the box, get out now.

[PresidentRobertBooth]

He's lucky to still have a head.

[Durango]

Very interesting story. It is so seldom we see anything that tells us who exactly we are fighting against. This gives us a glimpse into the other side.

I suspect the Pakistani offensive in Waziristan might be more effective than thought. It appears they are attacking the heart of the Taliban occupied territory.

It was apparently not safe to keep the captives in Afghanistan so there may be a hope to an end to this endless war.

There will be no military solution. Just political solutions. I will be waiting for the next installment. I

[ImissBush]

i know how he feels

been held hostage by a kenyon 4

almost
10 mons

[escribacat]

You can't even spell it right, idjut.

[madcat007]

You're not a hostage. You're free to leave. Maybe Bush will put you up in his Paraguay hideaway so you won't have to miss him anymore.

[Durango]

America, Love it or leave it.

Why do they hate America?

Why do they jhate our freedom?

[ImissBush]

sum times u peep makit
2
EZ

[TXfemmom]

You're not a hostage. We would be happy to pay for your ticket to anywhere else in the world and see you off, as long as you surrender your U. S. citizenship at the gate.

[ImissBush]

ah amerika love it or leave it...


u neocons nvr change

[sparky73]

seems like he was treated better than we treat the gitmo detainees. Go figure...

[Palemoon]

I was going to say the same thing. Interesting how we claim to be the good guys, but do all of the bad.

[sparky73]

we are clearly the THUGS of the world. Ofcourse people hate us, our actions have dictated it. It is no different why black people hate white people. Its because we enslaved the black man. Too bad Obama continues to make us out to be the bad guys by continuing an illegal war in Afghanistan and Iraq

[wilsonveteran]

I am outraged they beat the hostages. Didn't Obama stop torture and and inhumane treatement why haven't our enemies followed his lead. The taliban are outraged by civilians being killed by the Americans, that is what they say when their soldiers are killed since they wear no uniforms. But don't the Taliban target their own people more than they target Americans.

What really outrages me is liberals who believe in freedom and human rights are alright with this brutal government taking over again. They are alright with the stoning of women that are raped. They are alright with the killing of all people to include children that do not follow the Talibans strict islamic rules.
I really look on the left as hypocrites.

[sparky73]

It is not in our place to critcize their cutlure.

[Durango]

Both of your posts are rather silly.

Was that intentional?

[seattle music]

No, you don't. But you enjoy pretending that you do.

[escribacat]

Every kidnapping story from that region ends up the same -- the kidnappers pretend to be pious freedom fighters and turn out to be gangsters angling for the ransom money.

[ImissBush]

another anti-isreal post?

[escribacat]

Huh? What kind of contortion did you go through to come up with that conclusion?

[andycan]

You can't both work for the ultimate American establishment newspaper, the New York Times, and expect to be treated as a neutral witness in a merciless war beteween the taliban and the US.

A little less self-centeredness and self-indulgence, please!

[seattle music]

You have GOT to be kidding!?

I guess it would be OK to kidnap your son or husband if he worked for the NYT, the BBC, CNN, or any other "establishment" news organization?

The very idea that it is "self-centered and self-indulgent" to expect unarmed journalists to move freely in a war zone, reporting what they see and hear, marks you as a VERY ignorant person.

Without journalists, every citizen in the world is BLIND to anything that doesn't happen right in front of them.

Journalists -- all of them -- are the eyes and ears of humanity to current events. Kidnapping and imprisoning them is an assault on EVERYONE who reads a newspaper, watches a news program or listens to the radio. EVERYONE who needs journalism to make sense of current events.

Without journalistic freedom, we will lose even the hope of a democracy anywhere on Earth.

We'll go right back to the days where gossip and the King's Edicts were our only sources of "information".

[hypnotoad72]

+1

[escribacat]

Great post.

[ImissBush]

except they dont view them as neutral observers
al jeezera cant even get on cable here
tho they have room 4 multiple fox&nbc channels

[NoSandwiches]

pffft! I hate links that won't let you see the article without signing up.
Sorry
I don't care THAT much

[Durango]

I had no problem getting there.

And if anyone is going to have a problem navigating . . .

[Tulka2]

There is no problem associated with signing up for the New York Times. I have been signed up since the beginning of online with no problems resulting... spam or otherwise. Really. It's a great site, if only to access the new book and movie (with trailers) reviews. Highly recommended.