Greg Mortenson to be sued by tribesmen he said kidnapped him

[Hannah Bell]

Greg Mortenson, the author and philanthropist accused of fabricating large parts of his autobiographical writings, is to be sued by the Pakistani tribesmen he claimed kidnapped him.

In his bestselling books about building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, one of the most startling stories tells how he was kidnapped by the Taliban and held hostage in Waziristan, the most dangerous part of Pakistan's western tribal border area with Afghanistan. A photograph in one book showed him with a dozen tribesmen, some armed, who were supposedly holding him captive.

Mansur Khan Mahsud, who featured in the photograph, said that Mortenson came to his village of Kot Langer Khel, in the Laddah area of South Waziristan, in July 1996. Mahsud, who is the research director of a thinktank in Islamabad that specialises in the tribal area, said that the Taliban did not appear on the Pakistani side of the border until 2002, following the US-led invasion of Afghanistan.

"Greg Mortenson came with a relative of mine and he was a guest of the village. He stayed for about 10 days. He was living in the village, sightseeing, taking photographs. He had a really good time," said Mahsud, adding that some of the tribesmen carried guns to protect Mortenson.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/20/greg-mortenson-sued-tribesmen-kidnapped

[rpannier]

1. He should sue

"The way that he's portrayed the Mahsuds, as hash-smoking bandits, is wrong. He's defamed me, my family, my tribe. We are respected people in my area. He's turned us into kidnappers."

What he's done sounds like slander and in today's environment where images that disparage Muslims and Pakistanis needs to be squashed quickly.

[SoCalDem]

2. The world has gotten small enough to fit in a teacup, it would seem

Writers are learning some valuable lessons about literary "liberties". Even the remotest village on the planet probably has some access to the internet, and can see what is written about them:)

There was a time when "wanderers" could write whatever they liked, or embellish to their heart's content, and no one could fact check them, but that time is long gone, forever.

It;s very possible that he started out with pure intentions, but money does things to people, and writers are not immune..

[The Northerner]

3. If Mortenson did fabricate all those details, did he not realize

that at least SOMEONE would scrutinize his writings?

I'm not jumping to conclusions BUT if those details are proven to be libelous then he would have to be one of the biggest idiots on the planet.

Wow--if his statements are proven to be libel.