Taliban kidnap Briton, two Afghans

[maddezmom]

KABUL, March 6 (Reuters) - The Taliban said on Tuesday they had captured a Briton and two Afghans in the southern province of Helmand, a major drug producer, but gave no further details.

Some media reports said those kidnapped on Monday were journalists.

http://mobile.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP243294.htm

[maddezmom]

1. Taliban claims the journalist is a Briton named John Nichols(sp)

[maddezmom]

2. The Telegraph: Taliban claims to have captured Briton

Taliban claims to have captured Briton
By Bonnie Malkin and agencies
Last Updated: 10:44am GMT 06/03/2007



Nato launches biggest-ever Afghan offensive
Have your say: Can British forces "win"?
The Taliban claims to have captured a Briton and two Afghans in the southern province of Helmand.

They have not given any further details but some media reports said those kidnapped were journalists.

advertisement
The Foreign Office has said it was checking reports of the kidnapping.

"We have seen these reports. We're looking into them," a Foreign Office spokesman told AFP.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/06/wtali106.xml

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. 'John Nichol' - but not the one from the 1991 Gulf War

The British man was named by the Taleban as John Nichol, but as yet there is little other information on him.

The British, American and Afghan authorities in Kabul are trying to establish who he is and who he may have been working for, says the BBC's Alastair Leithead, in Kabul.

The man is not the British journalist and author of the same name, who was previously a RAF navigator captured in Iraq in 1991 - he is currently in the UK.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6422671.stm

[ShortnFiery]

4. Methinks, in less than two years, Brits will declare "victory" and go home. :( n/t

[maddezmom]

5. Italian journalist missing in Afghanistan

Italian journalist missing in Afghanistan
06 Mar 2007 15:25:29 GMT
Source: Reuters

Background
• Afghan turmoil


MORE >>
ROME, March 6 (Reuters) - Italian newspaper La Repubblica said on Tuesday it had not been able to contact its journalist in Afghanistan since Sunday and had alerted the Foreign Ministry in Rome.

The Taliban said earlier on Tuesday they had kidnapped a British journalist and two Afghans in the southern province of Helmand, giving no further details.

La Repubblica said on its Web site that its journalist, Daniele Mastrogiacomo, was in the nearby area of Kandahar when the newspaper last spoke to him.

link: http://mobile.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L06514589.htm

[maddezmom]

6. Taliban kidnap Italian accused of spying

Taliban kidnap Italian accused of spying
06 Mar 2007 15:56:01 GMT
Source: Reuters

Background
• Afghan turmoil


MORE >>
(Changes nationality to Italian)

KABUL, March 6 (Reuters) - The Taliban said on Tuesday they had captured an Italian journalist who they said was spying for British troops in southern Afghanistan, along with two Afghan colleagues.

Guerrilla spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousuf said the reporter worked for La Repubblica, which in Rome said it had lost contact with reporter Daniele Mastrogiacomo in Kandahar province since Sunday.

Yousuf, speaking by satellite phone from an undisclosed location, said the reporter had confessed to spying after being picked up in neighbouring Helmand province on Monday.

"He was pretending to be a journalist, but when we investigated we found he's working for the British troops," Yousuf said. "We're interrogating him and the other two."

more:http://mobile.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP245767.htm