The Times reported on March 1 that U.S. special forces had raided a radio station south of Kabul,
Radio Paighame Milli, allegedly destroying equipment, detaining three
employees, cutting off the station's broadcasts and, later, beating and
threatening the station owner, Qazi Nasir Mudassir, while he was in detention. Ironically, the Times reported,
the station was known for airing U.S.-sponsored advertisements
supporting the U.S.-led coalition of military forces in Afghanistan.
The story prompted National Press Club President Myron Belkind to immediately write Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel asking for an explanation.
The Pentagon's response arrived this week. The May 7 letter from the vice director of the Joint Staff, Army Maj. Gen. Frederick S. Rudesheim,
states that U.S. commandos, along with Afghan forces, found rocket
propelled grenades, AK-47s and magazines at the radio station. It says
troops detained three employees after they had produced what Rudesheim
said were fraudulent documents alleging authority to have the weapons.
And, he added, there were no indications of mistreatment or damaged
property.
Provided a copy of Rudesheim's letter, the New York Times Kabul bureau chief, Rod Nordland,
one of the reporters of the original story, raised questions about the
Pentagon account. Nordland said Mudassir said after he was released that
he had needed the weapons to defend himself against insurgents, who
were opposed to his support for U.S. forces and who had made threats
against him because of it.
"According
to the station owner, and to the local police chief, and to other
provincial officials, he had legitimate permits for most of the weapons,
though not the RPG--which he and they all admit," Nordland wrote in an
email. "He just felt he was such a target--because of his support for
the government side--that he needed that. And no one was arrested in the
end, just detained."
National Press Club President Belkind, in a statement Wednesday, expressed continued concern about the incident.
"While
we appreciate the Pentagon's response to our query, the inconsistencies
between the official account and the reports on the ground continue to
cause us concern over the possibility that U.S. forces may not have
respected the rights of these journalists," Belkind said. "We will
continue to monitor such situations. And we urge U.S. military leaders
to respect the basic rights of reporters--and others--as U.S. troops
carry out their mission."
The
National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization
for journalists. Its Press Freedom Committee leads Club efforts to
defend the rights of journalists worldwide.
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