British Special Forces bring home NYT reporter

Onkel Neal · 09-10-09, 06:38 AM

A very brave and dangerous operation. Unfortunatly, they lost one of their own, and the Afghan journalist.

Quote:

One senior Army source told the Daily Telegraph "When you look at the number of warnings this person had it makes you really wonder whether he was worth rescuing, whether it was worth the cost of a soldier's life."

Reporter's account of the ordeal

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danlisa · 09-10-09, 07:02 AM

I am happy that a life has been saved but I'm outraged that this journalist firstly ignored advise from people who knew the dangerous nature of the region and secondly that his actions cost the life of 2 people, one a highly trained and infinelty more valuable to a war effort than some poxie journo.

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His blood-soaked helmet was in front of me throughout the flight.

I hope this time was well spent reflecting in his stupidity and the agony and heartbreak he has caused the victims family.

09-10-09, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danlisa

I am happy that a life has been saved but I'm outraged that this journalist firstly ignored advise from people who knew the dangerous nature of the region and secondly that his actions cost the life of 2 people, one a highly trained and infinelty more valuable to a war effort than some poxie journo.

Plus two civilians died. And for some reason the body of Munadi, the Afghani journalist, was left behind. Bit strange.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/as...ter/index.html

antikristuseke · 09-10-09, 07:23 AM

Special forces people generally know what they sign up for. He lost his life in the line of duty. That being said, The journalist did act like a proper arsehead and personaly would not concidered the recources spent worth it to save him.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneToughHerring

Plus two civilians died. And for some reason the body of Munadi, the Afghani journalist, was left behind. Bit strange.

I wouldnt call leaving a corpes in a gunfight strange, but that must just be my weird standards where a dead body is not really worth risking anyones neck for.

09-10-09, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by antikristuseke

I wouldnt call leaving a corpes in a gunfight strange, but that must just be my weird standards where a dead body is not really worth risking anyones neck for.

Well they did retrieve the body of the dead soldier. I guess different rules apply to Afghani journalists.

antikristuseke · 09-10-09, 07:38 AM

From what I could tell from the article, the soldier in question was qounded, but died of his wounds on the plane. But yes, even if he had died on the spot an afghani journalist is not a brother in arms in the same way a soldier is to a fellow soldier.

mr chris · 09-10-09, 07:48 AM

Lets face it. The guys on the ground are not going to stay around looking for a Afghan jurno. When the prime target of the Op is accounted for and they are in a major fire-fight and they already have a man down. The comes a time when you have out stayed your welcome and it is time to get out of dodge.

09-10-09, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr chris

Lets face it. The guys on the ground are not going to stay around looking for a Afghan jurno. When the prime target of the Op is accounted for and they are in a major fire-fight and they already have a man down. The comes a time when you have out stayed your welcome and it is time to get out of dodge.

Oh yea, I think that about sums up the attitude of US & UK to this whole war.

mr chris · 09-10-09, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneToughHerring

Oh yea, I think that about sums up the attitude of US & UK to this whole war.

danlisa · 09-10-09, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr chris

Lets face it. The guys on the ground are not going to stay around looking for a Afghan jurno. When the prime target of the Op is accounted for and they are in a major fire-fight and they already have a man down. The comes a time when you have out stayed your welcome and it is time to get out of dodge.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneToughHerring

Oh yea, I think that about sums up the attitude of US & UK to this whole war.

Attitude has nothing to do with it.

It's training and orders. You do your job and get out. End of.

Putting on my logical head for a moment. Value wise, an injured and highly trained member of the forces is more valuable than a corpse.

They did the correct thing.

09-10-09, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danlisa

Attitude has nothing to do with it.

It's training and orders. You do your job and get out. End of.

Putting on my logical head for a moment. Value wise, an injured and highly trained member of the forces is more valuable than a corpse.

They did the correct thing.

Somebody gives them the orders. It's not like a robot gives the orders that the brainwashed soldiers are then just blindly forced to obey.

I think them leaving the Afghan journalists body (how exactly did they know he was dead and not just wounded as well?) there is a good metafore of the whole war. Afghan casualties mean nothing to the coalition.

Dowly · 09-10-09, 08:39 AM

While I agree with some of the reasons why the Afghani journalist was left behind, I cant help but think that if it would've been a western journalist, his body would have been taken back.

Skybird · 09-10-09, 08:50 AM

I have emotional sympathy for the anger about a journalist becoming the reason for a soldier KIA. However, it is irrational in that way that every day many more soldiers risk their lifes and occasionally lose their health or life due to not journalists but stupid politicians. I wonder what is the difference with this case of a journalist? Politicians are given the legitimation to make stupid decisions, and journalists are given the job and by that: the communal legitimiation to report - sometimes also in stupid working manners. And of the two, politicians do the far greater damage.

danlisa · 09-10-09, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dowly

While I agree with some of the reasons why the Afghani journalist was left behind, I cant help but think that if it would've been a western journalist, his body would have been taken back.

Maybe mate but we'll never know. TBH with you, I would have been happy to let the idiotic US Journalist be dealt with by his captors rather than risk UK soldier lives.

@ OneToughHerring

Quote:

Afghan casualties mean nothing to the coalition.

And UK deaths mean nothing to you?

200 Finns committed to the Afghanistan conflict. (set to be reduced back to 100 btw)
200+ UK Forces men and women already dead during Afghanistan conflict.

Perhaps now you understand why we don't want anymore to be risked.

Mikhayl · 09-10-09, 09:03 AM

Well imagine they brought back the Afghan journalist's body, only to find out he was downed by UK bullets. Would have been quite embarassing.

09-10-09, 07:48 AM	#7
mr chris Silent Hunter Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Herefordshire, England Posts: 3,562 Downloads: 216 Uploads: 0	Lets face it. The guys on the ground are not going to stay around looking for a Afghan jurno. When the prime target of the Op is accounted for and they are in a major fire-fight and they already have a man down. The comes a time when you have out stayed your welcome and it is time to get out of dodge. __________________

09-10-09, 08:50 AM	#13
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,609 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	I have emotional sympathy for the anger about a journalist becoming the reason for a soldier KIA. However, it is irrational in that way that every day many more soldiers risk their lifes and occasionally lose their health or life due to not journalists but stupid politicians. I wonder what is the difference with this case of a journalist? Politicians are given the legitimation to make stupid decisions, and journalists are given the job and by that: the communal legitimiation to report - sometimes also in stupid working manners. And of the two, politicians do the far greater damage. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert. Last edited by Skybird; 09-10-09 at 09:15 AM.

09-10-09, 07:38 AM	#6
antikristuseke Silent Hunter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Estland Posts: 4,330 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	From what I could tell from the article, the soldier in question was qounded, but died of his wounds on the plane. But yes, even if he had died on the spot an afghani journalist is not a brother in arms in the same way a soldier is to a fellow soldier.

09-10-09, 08:39 AM	#12
Dowly Lucky Jack Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Finland Posts: 25,052 Downloads: 32 Uploads: 0	While I agree with some of the reasons why the Afghani journalist was left behind, I cant help but think that if it would've been a western journalist, his body would have been taken back.

09-10-09, 09:03 AM	#15
Mikhayl Captain Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 485 Downloads: 64 Uploads: 0	Well imagine they brought back the Afghan journalist's body, only to find out he was downed by UK bullets. Would have been quite embarassing.