This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/8247668.stm
The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Freed reporter says road 'safe' | Freed reporter says road 'safe' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The journalist whose rescue in Afghanistan left a British soldier dead, has said the road on which he was kidnapped "appeared to be safe". | The journalist whose rescue in Afghanistan left a British soldier dead, has said the road on which he was kidnapped "appeared to be safe". |
| New York Times reporter Stephen Farrell's colleague Afghan journalist Sultan Munadi also died in the rescue. | New York Times reporter Stephen Farrell's colleague Afghan journalist Sultan Munadi also died in the rescue. |
| The British journalist has faced criticism in Army circles over his decision to go to the area. | The British journalist has faced criticism in Army circles over his decision to go to the area. |
| Writing about his ordeal, Mr Farrell described Mr Munadi's death, saying: "He has died trying to help me." | Writing about his ordeal, Mr Farrell described Mr Munadi's death, saying: "He has died trying to help me." |
| Mr Farrell, 46, had travelled to Kunduz, in the north of the country to investigate a Nato air strike last Friday on two hijacked fuel tankers when he was kidnapped. | Mr Farrell, 46, had travelled to Kunduz, in the north of the country to investigate a Nato air strike last Friday on two hijacked fuel tankers when he was kidnapped. |
| In his blog in the New York Times, he said his Afghan drivers advised him on the logistics of travelling north after reports of the explosion came in. | In his blog in the New York Times, he said his Afghan drivers advised him on the logistics of travelling north after reports of the explosion came in. |
| He said: "The drivers made a few phone calls and said the road north appeared to be safe until mid to late afternoon. It was close to the cut-off point, but if we left immediately we could do it." | He said: "The drivers made a few phone calls and said the road north appeared to be safe until mid to late afternoon. It was close to the cut-off point, but if we left immediately we could do it." |
| Crowd gathers | Crowd gathers |
| En-route to the see the tankers, the reporters stopped at the hospital where injured Afghanis were being treated. Mr Farrell said there were other Western journalists and aid workers there. | En-route to the see the tankers, the reporters stopped at the hospital where injured Afghanis were being treated. Mr Farrell said there were other Western journalists and aid workers there. |
| The following day they visited the site of the strike and Mr Farrell said "there was no sign of hostility from the crowd, only faces eager to tell a story". | The following day they visited the site of the strike and Mr Farrell said "there was no sign of hostility from the crowd, only faces eager to tell a story". |
| But he added: "A crowd began to gather, time passed and we grew nervous. I do not know how long we were there, but it was uncomfortably long. I am comfortable with the decision to go to the riverbank, but fear we spent too long there." | But he added: "A crowd began to gather, time passed and we grew nervous. I do not know how long we were there, but it was uncomfortably long. I am comfortable with the decision to go to the riverbank, but fear we spent too long there." |
| It was over. Sultan was dead. He had died trying to help me, right up to the very last seconds of his life Stephen Farrell | It was over. Sultan was dead. He had died trying to help me, right up to the very last seconds of his life Stephen Farrell |
| The pair were captured shortly afterwards, and spent the next four days being moved between safe houses by the Taliban. Mr Farrell said they were treated well. | The pair were captured shortly afterwards, and spent the next four days being moved between safe houses by the Taliban. Mr Farrell said they were treated well. |
| Military insiders have questioned whether going to an area where anger against the west had been caused by the civilian deaths in the Nato strike was wise. | Military insiders have questioned whether going to an area where anger against the west had been caused by the civilian deaths in the Nato strike was wise. |
| The Daily Telegraph quotes a senior Army source: "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. | The Daily Telegraph quotes a senior Army source: "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. |
| "In the future, special forces might think twice in a similar situation." | "In the future, special forces might think twice in a similar situation." |
| Robin Horsfall, a former SAS officer, told Channel 4 News: "Some questions will be asked if a journalist has behaved in a reckless fashion and put them in this position. | Robin Horsfall, a former SAS officer, told Channel 4 News: "Some questions will be asked if a journalist has behaved in a reckless fashion and put them in this position. |
| "There's going to be some resentment." | "There's going to be some resentment." |
| This is the second time Mr Farrell has been abducted while on assignment - in 2004 he was kidnapped in the Iraqi city of Falluja while working for the London Times newspaper. | This is the second time Mr Farrell has been abducted while on assignment - in 2004 he was kidnapped in the Iraqi city of Falluja while working for the London Times newspaper. |
| Journalist Stephen Grey, who has worked in Afghanistan, said Mr Farrell was a fearless reporter. | Journalist Stephen Grey, who has worked in Afghanistan, said Mr Farrell was a fearless reporter. |
| "He is the sort of person who realises that you have to get out of your comfort zone beyond the wire in order to work out the truth." | "He is the sort of person who realises that you have to get out of your comfort zone beyond the wire in order to work out the truth." |
| Mr Farrell has described the moment the firefight with the Taliban started as British troops launched the rescue bid and Mr Munadi died. | |
| "I did not know whether the bullets came from in front, to his right or to his left," he said. | |
| "It was over. Sultan was dead. He had died trying to help me, right up to the very last seconds of his life." | "It was over. Sultan was dead. He had died trying to help me, right up to the very last seconds of his life." |
| Mr Farrell said he had thanked the soldiers who rescued him. | Mr Farrell said he had thanked the soldiers who rescued him. |
| "It wasn't, and never will be, enough." |