1 British commando dies in raid to free NYT reporter from Taliban

Wednesday 09th September, 03:31 PM JST

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

› Login to comment

Latest 15 of 16 Total Comments Show All

seijichuudo9sha at 05:26 PM JST - 9th September

Shame on the NY Times.
timorborder at 05:56 PM JST - 9th September

Whoops! I just wonder if British Commando means the Royal Marine Commandos, the boaties from Dorset or the boys from down Hereford. Although there might not be much difference in terms of news reporting, these three units tend to use totally different tactics.
Harry_Gatto at 06:22 PM JST - 9th September

We will probably never know for sure but my guess is SAS. However, the SBS could quite easily have done it too.
DailyBread at 07:31 PM JST - 9th September

If I was him, I'd be wondering how to sleep at night.

In the real world after a narrow escape one usually sits on the crapper after slugging down as much alcohol if it can be had or smokes the local weed.
888naff at 08:09 PM JST - 9th September

not a complete sucess as is assiant translator was shot. i wonder how easy or what steps are tken by the rescuers to get a positive id before shooting ( if that was the case).

from bbc: "We were all in a room, the Talibs all ran, it was obviously a raid," Mr Farrell told the New York Times. "We thought they would kill us. We thought should we go out?"

Mr Farrell said he ran outside with his interpreter, who AFP news agency reports was a 34-year-old man working in Afghanistan while on a break from university studies in Germany. "There were bullets all around us. I could hear British and Afghan voices," he continued.

The correspondent said father-of-two Mr Munadi advanced shouting: "Journalist! Journalist!" But the translator was shot and collapsed. Mr Farrell said he did not know whether the shots had been fired by militants or their rescuers.
seijichuudo9sha at 08:18 PM JST - 9th September

After all the NY Times has done to help to ensure US and British forces follow the rules of engagement in Afghanistan you would think the Taliban would be more grateful.
sappquest at 08:41 PM JST - 9th September

BBC now reporting that 4 people died in the rescue...
USNinJapan2 at 10:09 PM JST - 9th September

What was a Times reporter doing in the field anyway? I thought they just fabricated all of their stories from the comfort of their desks on The West Side...
888naff at 10:23 PM JST - 9th September

maybe its more dangerous to not be the reporter but the people that assist them in these places... but i bet the priority will be on collecting the reporter though.
888naff at 10:25 PM JST - 9th September

Its interesting the bbc news coverage as national bbc news website just focus that it was a british silder killed. the world news site versions headlines the 4 killed were killed. Maybe shows what some people care only about and dont care for.
TheQuestion at 11:05 PM JST - 9th September

Nice going, guys, wiping out a bunch of people to rescue one person, i.e. the Westerner.

The job was to rescue the journalist and they did it. Not much else to say.

If I was him, I'd be wondering how to sleep at night.

Really? Because if I were him I would be thanking my lucky stars that someone got me out of there before my captors put a round through my head.
britling at 12:14 PM JST - 10th September

The job was to rescue the journalist and they did it. Not much else to say.

There is a great deal more to say.

Really? Because if I were him I would be thanking my lucky stars that someone got me out of there before my captors put a round through my head.

You wouldn't spare a thought for the interpreter, the British soldier, and the two Afghan civilians who all got killed to rescue one Western hostage?
lostrune2 at 06:06 PM JST - 10th September

Well, I guess they did kill the hostage takers too, so that kinda also rescues possible future hostages....
fleetwood77 at 04:18 AM JST - 11th September

All the NYT reporters in Afghanistan aren't worth the bones of one British soldier.
lostrune2 at 03:15 PM JST - 11th September

fleetwood77,

Heh, seems many Americans feel the same way about American soldiers and foreign civilians.