We learn today that a New York Times reporter had been held captive in Afghanistan – a fact not considered “fit to print” by the paper of record until after he had been rescued. A British soldier died saving his life, as did an Afghan colleague who served as an interpreter and a woman whose house the Taliban had apparently commandeered.
The Times kept his identity and even the fact of his captivity secret from the American people. Probably because if the Taliban had come to understand the importance of their hostage to their world-wide information operations campaign, it could have gone very badly for Stephen Farrell. Moved, traded, tortured and killed, most likely. His dying moments posted to the Internet by jihadist pornographers.
His family would have no doubt been devastated.
LCpl Joshua Bernard, whose photograph recently graced the pages of the Time‘s web edition, could not be reached for comment.
Someone remind me to be really careful when I’m in Starbucks. It’d be a shame if I had an unplanned mishap with a Grande drip and ended up ruining a stack of the Grey Lady.
There’s high risk of daily occurence. Not advocating any wrong doing — not me, nuh-uh, no way. Just that I’m getting terrible clumsy with the accumulation of years and miles. Back trouble and inner ear balance problems, ya know?
I’d not waste the coffee.
Yeah, they treated it just like they did the top secret information that could have saved lives of US servicemen . . . Oh, wait. They blabbed that. What’s that word that Van Jones liked to use for Republicans? Might it apply royally to the NYT?
How many times do we have to see this re-run? (Roll of eyes) The NYT crowd and the rest of their media acolytes ain’t never gonna change–the sun will go Super Nova (actually Red-Giant, but Super Nova sounds a more spectacularly “with a bang” sort of thing viz RG “whimper” mode) before those guys change–it’s in their genetics. I had a friend of mine who anticipated M. Savage’s “liberalism is a mental disease” theory/mantra years ago by saying: “A liberal is someone with a genetic defect that prevents him from processing reality–and thus he lives his entire life in a state of denial.”
Why should ANY of us be surprised or shocked anymore. It’s the same thing year after year after year. MY solution is to drink “Rhum” Barbancourt until my liver explodes–it’s either that or up on the top of the Texas Tower with a good sniper-scope and LOTS of extra ammunition…
Somewhere I have a t-shirt with the silhouette of that University of Texas tower and the caption, “One man *can* make a difference.” I don’t wear it much, obviously.
Regarding the NYT, Byron York has an interesting take on the Van Jones case at http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/Why-did-the-press-ignore-the-Van-Jones-scandal_-8210602-57658222.html, saying in effect the NYT used to have the power to kill a story simply by ignoring it, and apparently thinks it still does. I find it most interesting that a newspaper with a stock share price nearing the cost of the Sunday edition should have such hubris.
– Max
Max/
IIRC our Texas Tower guy was a former Eagle-Scout w. a brain tumor. Which, come to think of it, would go a long way to explain why I am the way I am–only mine just has taken a life-time for it’s true malignancy to play out….
I would wonder if the USMC if asked, would they detail any of our fine Men and Boy’s to rescue an AP Reporter/Photographer if held in a similar situation. I would hope they would have a good excuse not to send good men and women after bad men and women, and I am not talking about the Taliban here. Enter Gratuitous Plug Here: http://voicefromthenoise.blogspot.com/2009/09/combat-photo-ap-steps-in-something.html
BT: Jimmy T sends.
Not the first time, nor the last, that this has happened to “journalists”. Of course, it is important that they are “protected” and not “endangered”, but screw the troops.
Frigging disgusting.
Lex and virgil … Unfortunately, beauty is only skin deep, but ugliness goes to the bone, as the song says.
Marianne
I truly feel for the family of the Brit KIA. We all know that no words of comfort can replace the knowledge that their son/husband/brother died saving the life of a miscreant lower than a pond scum sucker.
Jonn from “This Aint Hell” and Uncle Jimbo were interviewed by the BBC as to their thoughts on this matter. You can hear the podcast here if you like:
http://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=14242
One of the interesting comments from a Brit in that interview was that Stephen Ferrell, the NYT reporter, didn’t expect to be rescued. Now, since he had ALSO been captured in Fallujah, and again, hadn’t been expecting to be rescued, one has to ponder a bit.
Was Ferrell intentionally looking to be “kidnapped” in order to be exchanged for “ransom”? Seems to me to be a pretty interesting way for someone to channel funds to a party or parties they wanted to see become more successful.
I’m not much on conspiracy theories, but the circumstances piqued my interest a great deal, and I’ll be flat-out honest. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find that the NYT was paying the Taliban, or others, for access or to get certain contacts and stories. I wouldn’t put it past them to truck with our enemies, especially in light of the NYT’s demonstrated bias towards our military, the GWOT, and our nation generally.
Maybe I’m reading too much into all this, but it makes one wonder.
Getting a wee bit cynical and paranoid in your old age, aren’t you? Living in such interesting times, I’ve heard tell that can happen to a pensive person….
Xformed,
Yeah, that’s as likely as not correct. However, having been exposed to the NYT for some 4 decades now, it wouldn’t surprise me to see them involved in such a dastardly syndicate.
I’ve just become rather jaded when considering the actions of what used to be American media, but which now, collectively, seems willing to stand aside and above such “petty anachronisms” as Nations and States, all in the name of profits and face, And you know, that whole “profit” aspect kills me, as they are always pontificating about the evils of capitalism and the need for “social justice”, ad nauseum.
Ah well… time for a couple shots then off to try and sleep a bit. O’dark thirty comes early these days..
My best to all!
xformed/
All humor aside, there is a kernel of truth in the form of the recent past history of the MSM regarding such things. Forgotten the CNN admission that they intentionally failed to report on various depredations of Saddam’s regime just so they could maintain an office and a presence in Baghdad have we? Or am I missing the tongue in your cheek ‘ole buddy? It is but a short step from that to paying for access. Now as to intentionally getting kidnapped as a roundabout way via ransom? Well……
I would personally opt for the time-honored manila envelope full of cash passed under the table, (both literally and figuratively) but that’s just little ‘ole me.
[...] It has come to light that fired “czar” Van Jones believes that the U.S. deserved 9/11, the media swept that under the rug in hopes of messing with the republicans, a professor sees no distinction between American soldiers and suicide bombers, and the New York times (again, natch) covers up the capture and rescue of one of their reporters while publishing the photo of a dying marine. [...]
Didn’t the local Taliban office get the memo that the NYT is on their side?
We learn today that a New York Times reporter had been held captive in Afghanistan – a fact not considered “fit to print” by the paper of record until after he had been rescued.
Isn’t the military term for this “red on red”?