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Western journalist kidnapped by Taliban
AFP
| 11/27/01
Posted on 11/27/2001 11:08:03 AM PST by kattracks
The Taliban have kidnapped and threatened to kill a Canadian journalist in the Afghan border town of Spin Boldak, a colleague said Tuesday.
Freelance journalist Ken Hetchman is being kept in a small cell bound hand and foot, Jonathan Steele of Britain's Guardian newspaper told AFP.
A local Pashtun man handed Steele one of Hetchman's business cards at the border town of Chaman on Tuesday evening, with an appeal for help.
The Pashtun man told Steele that the Taliban had warned "that when we surrender, if we do not get money, maybe we will kill you because these are the people we do not like."
Hetchman, who has worked for the Montreal Mirror and is aged around 30, had met Steele while the pair were staying together at the same hotel in Chaman three days ago.
The kidnap comes amid reports of widespread looting of aid in Spin Boldak and conflicting claims as to whether the town was still under the control of the Taliban.
One witness told Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) Tuesday evening that Spin Boldak was no longer controlled by the Taliban.
"The area is now under the control of forces of the Noorzai and Achakzai tribes," he told AIP from the Pakistan-Afghan border.
"I have seen people taking away blankets and other items in their vehicles," he said.
However, Wakil Abdul Samad, an elder of the Nurzai tribe, denied the Taliban had left the town.
He said the Taliban had agreed to hand over Spin Boldak and the adjoining Wesh area on Tuesday morning "but after receiving some message from Kandahar they refused."
Samad told AFP by telephone late Tuesday the Taliban had not yet handed over the town to the tribal elders. "We have a sent a delegation to Kandahar and we hope to get a reply Wednesday," he said.
A Swedish cameraman became the eighth journalist killed in Afghanistan on Tuesday after he was shot by armed bandits in a night-time robbery on a house in the northern city of Taloqan where he and other reporters were staying, witnesses and colleagues said.
TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events
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1
posted on
11/27/2001 11:08:03 AM PST
by
kattracks
To: kattracks
Dang, and Geraldo and the War Slut were right there for the taking!
To: kattracks
when we surrender, if we do not get money Excuse me, Taliban representative, but what good will money do if you are dead?
To: kattracks
There was a story posted earlier that said the Canadian gov't was frantically contacting all Canadian journalists in Afghanistan to warn them of this potential.
That article had the Canadian authorities saying no one had been kidnapped yet.
Guess that was wrong.
4
posted on
11/27/2001 11:11:29 AM PST
by
gumbo
To: kattracks
Dead man walkin'. I can hear the demands for military security details for journalists already.
5
posted on
11/27/2001 11:11:30 AM PST
by
TADSLOS
To: codebreaker
"Dang, and Geraldo and the War Slut were right there for the taking!"</p?You can bet Geraldo will not be in "Indian Country". He will stay where he can be relatively safe and protected, and will stir up "humanitarian" bovine defacation.
To: kattracks
The Pashtun man told Steele that the Taliban had warned "that when we surrender, if we do not get money, maybe we will kill you because these are the people we do not like." HINT: to decipher, use your "All your bases are belong to us" code book.
7
posted on
11/27/2001 11:14:12 AM PST
by
1Old Pro
To: kattracks
OK, you win! We quit! - Canada Didn't know you'd actually started! - The World
8
posted on
11/27/2001 11:14:31 AM PST
by
GMMAC
To: TADSLOS
The Taliban aren't playing by the rules. Don't they know that they're supposed to treat the press like royalty?
Sooner or later the journalists are going to catch on, and boy are they gonna get mad.
9
posted on
11/27/2001 11:15:39 AM PST
by
Dog Gone
To: Real Cynic No More
The Talbian will find Geraldo and the war slut filing their reports on top of the nearest Four Seasons hotel.
To: kattracks
I'm sorry, but the Canadians need to treat this the same way that Bush managed the arrest and trials of the humanitarian aid workers. NO RANSOM. They can do all the stuff they want behind the scenes, but publically the word should be NO RANSOM. This man was there at his own risk.
To: kattracks
The Taliban have kidnapped and threatened to kill a Canadian journalist in the Afghan border town of Spin Boldak, a colleague said Tuesday. I think journalist need to examine their actions of the past to determine what brought on this violent act.
To: kattracks
The Taliban have kidnapped and threatened to kill a CANADIAN journalist.. The Taliban have awakened a sleeping giant.......no, never mind, the giant just rolled over and fell asleep again.
13
posted on
11/27/2001 11:18:42 AM PST
by
Mark
To: afraidfortherepublic
Just like what Rodger Alies at FOX told Jerry Rivers before he got on the plane-'Keep your head down becuase we wont send a chopper to save you.'
To: Always Right
As the journalist is Canadian, it may be safely assumed that he was certain he'd offerred all the necessary apologies in advance.
15
posted on
11/27/2001 11:20:02 AM PST
by
GMMAC
To: kattracks
They better start arming these guys. The journalist`s have taken more KIA and WIA in this war than the troops. Hint for them to stay with the guys wearing the 'Fritz' helments.
16
posted on
11/27/2001 11:22:41 AM PST
by
vladog
To: kattracks
we will kill you because these are the people we do not like
First, Peter Jennings gets told in Texas "We don't like you."
Now, this!
Poor media...they are so victimized. [Sniffle, sniffle...pass me a tissue.]
17
posted on
11/27/2001 11:24:34 AM PST
by
TomGuy
To: Always Right
I think journalist need to examine their actions of the past to determine what brought on this violent act. ZAP!!!
To: Mark
I guess the Taliban didn't hear it when our pathetic Prime Minister claimed we didn't have any enemies because of our glorious peacekeeping tradition.
It will be interesting to hear Chretien's remarks about this if he even bothers to acknowledge it. I don't know if he can find new ways to humiliate us before the world but then he's surprised us before.
Prayers for the journalist. Let's hope his fate is no worse than the missionaries freed recently. However, these things happen in war zones and if he didn't take that into consideration he's tragically stupid.
Canadians don't much like it when our people are abused abroad. Unfortunately our PM doesn't give a rat's a** about what the people think. He's more concerned with losing the "peaceful Moslem" vote. Arghhh!
To: Always Right
The journalists must look at their own terorist acts against the viewing public in their history, like Kate Colin exploring her nether regions on the 'Today Show.'
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