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British officials, however, said the rescue operation, by the Special Forces Support Group flying in US helicopters, had been ordered after intelligence, including intercepts, suggested that the journalists' lives were in imminent danger.
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The prime minister said: "Hostage-taking is never justified, and the UK does not make substantive concessions, including paying ransoms. But whenever British nationals are kidnapped, we and our allies will do everything in our power to free them."In the last two years, six foreign journalists have been kidnapped in Afghanistan by insurgents and criminal gangs. Five were released after negotiations and one, David Rohde, another New York Times reporter, escaped after seven months in captivity.
Questions raised over bloody raid to free British journalist in Afghanistan | World news | The Guardian
Defence sources said that intensive efforts had been made over the weekend to pinpoint the hostages and assess the strength of the Taleban presence. They said there were no guarantees that a negotiated deal would have led to Mr Farrells release and that there were fears he could be moved. However, several sources in Kabul said that the captors were, at worst, seeking a ransom. A Western source involved in the talks said: There was no immediate urgency that they were going to be beheaded or handed over to another group. You cannot move them easily. Its a very isolated area.
Another Western official said: It was totally heavy-handed. If theyd showed a bit of patience and respect they could have got both of them out without firing a bullet. Instead, they ended up having one of their own killed, the Afghan killed and civilians killed. Theres a lot of p****d-off people at the moment.
The negotiations had begun within 24 hours of the kidnapping last week.The Interior Minister had persuaded 300 local elders to intercede with the kidnappers, saying that the hostages were just journalists doing their job. Mr Mudanis uncle had established communications with the provincial Taleban commander. An Afghan who spoke with the local commander said: I think we could have got them out peacefully, maybe in a few days.
Negotiators shocked by special forces rescue raid on Taleban - Times Online
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The prime minister said: "Hostage-taking is never justified, and the UK does not make substantive concessions, including paying ransoms. But whenever British nationals are kidnapped, we and our allies will do everything in our power to free them."In the last two years, six foreign journalists have been kidnapped in Afghanistan by insurgents and criminal gangs. Five were released after negotiations and one, David Rohde, another New York Times reporter, escaped after seven months in captivity.
Questions raised over bloody raid to free British journalist in Afghanistan | World news | The Guardian
Defence sources said that intensive efforts had been made over the weekend to pinpoint the hostages and assess the strength of the Taleban presence. They said there were no guarantees that a negotiated deal would have led to Mr Farrells release and that there were fears he could be moved. However, several sources in Kabul said that the captors were, at worst, seeking a ransom. A Western source involved in the talks said: There was no immediate urgency that they were going to be beheaded or handed over to another group. You cannot move them easily. Its a very isolated area.
Another Western official said: It was totally heavy-handed. If theyd showed a bit of patience and respect they could have got both of them out without firing a bullet. Instead, they ended up having one of their own killed, the Afghan killed and civilians killed. Theres a lot of p****d-off people at the moment.
The negotiations had begun within 24 hours of the kidnapping last week.The Interior Minister had persuaded 300 local elders to intercede with the kidnappers, saying that the hostages were just journalists doing their job. Mr Mudanis uncle had established communications with the provincial Taleban commander. An Afghan who spoke with the local commander said: I think we could have got them out peacefully, maybe in a few days.
Negotiators shocked by special forces rescue raid on Taleban - Times Online