Q&A: Hostage rescue raids

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Stephen Farrell (left) and Sultan Munadi were held in Kunduz

Downing Street has defended the decision to order troops to rescue a British journalist who had been kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan. His Afghan colleague was killed in the raid.

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner considers the issues surrounding the kidnapping and rescue mission.

Why was a rescue operation mounted for these journalists?

The reason given by UK government officials is that negotiations for their release "were going nowhere". The rescue team knew the location where they were being held and believed there was an imminent threat to the men's lives, so they decided to act before the captives were moved to an unknown location and it would be too late to save them.

This version is disputed by Afghan journalists who say negotiations with the men's captors were progressing and could have led to their release without bloodshed.

How common is it for UK politicians at the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence to sanction military raids?

In hostage rescue cases like this it is normal. Every time a UK national is kidnapped the government convenes a crisis management team in Whitehall called Cobra (Cabinet Office Briefing Room). This is usually attended by representatives from the Foreign Office, the MoD, the intelligence agencies and others. They take advice from commanders on the ground and weigh up the pros and cons of how to proceed.

Afghan journalists have condemned the translator's killing

Has the decision sparked a political row in the UK?

Not yet. It would do if it was proved that the government was reckless in authorising a raid, as is alleged by Afghan journalists, but UK military sources strongly refute this.

What do we know about the raids?

Both attempts to rescue Stephen Farrell and Sultan Munadi were mounted by UK forces, backed by Afghans, using US military helicopters to land nearby.

The first, on Tuesday night, got close but not close enough. A number of Taliban are said to have been captured and it was feared that others holding the men would have been alerted to an imminent raid and so moved them the next day.

What did the kidnappers want?

This is unclear. Unconfirmed reports say it was all about money and that the captors would have been willing to do a deal.

But Mr Farrell says they were being paraded in front of other Taliban commanders. There was believed to be a real risk they could be sold on to a more hard-line group, eventually even ending up with al-Qaeda across the border in Pakistan.

Should journalists be travelling to these danger areas without adequate security?

This is a very controversial point. There are some who say Mr Farrell ignored safety warnings and that he was reckless in going where he did, putting the lives of others in danger.

But his defenders insist he is a serious and brave journalist who is committed to uncovering the whole story. Travelling with a highly visible security escort does not always work in your favour as it can attract unwanted attention and make the journalist more of a target.