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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Freed journalist thanks rescuers | Freed journalist thanks rescuers |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A journalist whose rescue in Afghanistan left a British paratrooper dead has thanked the soldiers who saved him, saying "it will never be enough". | A journalist whose rescue in Afghanistan left a British paratrooper dead has thanked the soldiers who saved him, saying "it will never be enough". |
| New York Times reporter Stephen Farrell also paid tribute to his colleague, Afghan journalist Sultan Munadi, who died in the rescue "trying to help me". | New York Times reporter Stephen Farrell also paid tribute to his colleague, Afghan journalist Sultan Munadi, who died in the rescue "trying to help me". |
| They were kidnapped travelling to the scene of a Nato air strike and have been criticised for going to the area. | They were kidnapped travelling to the scene of a Nato air strike and have been criticised for going to the area. |
| But Mr Farrell said his Afghan drivers advised him the road "appeared safe". | But Mr Farrell said his Afghan drivers advised him the road "appeared safe". |
| Crowd gathers | Crowd gathers |
| The 46-year-old had travelled to Kunduz, in the north of the country, to investigate the air strike last Friday on two hijacked fuel tankers when he was abducted with Mr Munadi, a journalist who was working as an translator. | The 46-year-old had travelled to Kunduz, in the north of the country, to investigate the air strike last Friday on two hijacked fuel tankers when he was abducted with Mr Munadi, a journalist who was working as an translator. |
| In his blog in the New York Times, he said: "The drivers made a few phone calls and said the road north appeared to be safe until mid to late afternoon. | In his blog in the New York Times, 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." | "It was close to the cut-off point, but if we left immediately we could do it." |
| En route to 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. 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. 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 Farrell's New York Times blog | 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 Farrell's New York Times blog |
| 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 London's 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 London's 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 and Mr Munadi died. | Mr Farrell has described the moment the firefight with the Taliban started and Mr Munadi died. |
| "I did not know whether the bullets came from in front, to his right or to his left," he said. | "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. "It wasn't, and never will be, enough," he said. | Mr Farrell said he had thanked the soldiers who rescued him. "It wasn't, and never will be, enough," he said. |