Drudge Slug: ANGER AS SOLIDER DIES TO RESCUE NEWSMAN... DEVELOPING...

Referring to the commando operation that sprang a British NYT reporter from captivity by the Taliban.

I'm not sure how to take Drudge's slug. The article linked above mentions anger, but from the Afghans, who are pissed that the man's Afghan assistant was killed in the raid.

But there's also this:

The raid has heightened an internal Nato debate on how to respond to the kidnapping of journalists working in dangerous areas, often against the advice of Afghan and alliance officials.

"This guy was told not to go in there. He was told by local officials," said a western military source. "But being stupid should not give you a death sentence. How do you decide when not to go in? That's the hard thing? When do you give a bad man with a gun the right to decide. You always go back and get someone."

The source said if a raid had not been ordered, the military would have been criticised for "standing by and doing nothing".

A soldier was also killed in the mission. Which leads to the question: Why is a soldier's life worth less than a newsman's? Particularly since the newsman also volunteers for hazard duty -- against the advice of the military.

And, you know, the newsman often seems to be working directly against the soldier.

posted by Ace at 07:41 PM

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