Western journalist 'embeds' with Taliban army for first time

[maddezmom]

Source: The Telegraph

A Norwegian journalist has been granted unprecedented access to the Taliban army for the first time.

The journalist, Norwegian Paul Refsdal, says Taliban leader Commander Dawran granted him the access and allowed him to film the enemy soldiers while they attacked a US convoy.

The Taliban leader also allowed Refsdal to film him with his two children. The children were later allegedly killed in a US raid on the camp.

Refsdal says: "The ambush has turned into something like a daily ritual. American convoys drive past the Taliban area, sometimes they hit the vehicles, sometimes they don't."


Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/7966976/Western-journalist-embeds-with-Taliban-army-for-first-time.html

[HEyHEY]

1. That's a dangerous assignment

This guy better be really, really careful.

[Mnpaul]

2. Unprecendented access for a Norwegian

But an afghan journalist went behind the lines with the Taliban some time ago
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/talibanlines/view/

[Turborama]

3. It's not actually unprecedented.

In 2006 British journalist Sean Langan made a full length documentary about his time with the Taliban for Channel 4 called "Meeting The Taliban" (which was broadcast in 2007).

Eventually he was abducted by them, held hostage and suffered mock executions. He was released in June 2008.

I posted lots of details and links to watch it online here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=385&topic_id=408086

Here's his Wikipedia bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Langan



(edited to correct dates)

[greensleeve]

4. Actually not the first as you say

A French woman journalist has been embedded with the Taliban twice. I have the great video of her going out with them on an attack against an Afghan check point - then driving past that same checkpoint the next day with the Taliban.

[readmoreoften]

5. Anand Gopal has been embedded with the Taliban a number of times as well.

And has for a few years now. He's reported for the WSJ and the Christian Science Monitor. Poorly researched story.