It seems not one of you have a clue what you are talking about. Not one of you know anything about the man, or what he believes yet you are quick to talk nonsense.
I would have expected a little compassion for a man who was shot for just doing his job. But you seem to think an innocent deserved to be shot for merely reporting the news.
I have to agree Cooper72. I once had the immense pleasure of meeting Frank Gardner in London a number of years ago and I have to admit that, even then, he was incredibly well informed and extremely knowledgeable about the Middle East and the Islamic World. Ever since he met the great explorer Wilfred Thesiger when he was 16, Gardner has been travelling to the Arab World and learning of its diverse people. I find it extremely ironic that Frank Gardner can be heavily criticised for his views upon the Islamic World by a vast majority of people who know very little in comparison to him. There are too many people in this world today who simply swallow the prejudice of others rather than make up their own minds. I cannot possibly count the number of people here who have previously slated Islam and criticised its people for the most of bizarre of reasons simply for the fact that they fail to understand its truce teachings. Most people seem to believe that the ideology of Al-Qaeda and Ossama Bin Laden is the teaching of Islam and the Koran. People fail to realise that Bin Laden’s desires are essentially political and not religious and bear no resemblance to the true teaching of Islam and is a direct exploitation. It is very strange to see people criticise Frank Gardner for apparently ‘knowing little about Islam’ when he is the very one who spent years studying the religion including reading Arabic and Islam at University. He has read the Koran and other Islamic scriptures and in my opinion deserves more airway to speak about the current situation in the world today than others who have never even closely examined Islam. Frank Gardner is not delusional as some may suggest for he is quite the opposite. The world needs people like Gardner who know what they are talking about. I only know of two journalists who have ever tried to fully explain what groups such as Al-Qaeda want and what their motives are and they were Frank Gardner and Daniel Pearl. Nobody seems to want to know why Al-Qaeda does what it does and simply condemn them and swallow the simplistic views offered by cheap news stations, which care little of explaining. This does not mean saying that Al-Qaeda is somehow right or that their actions are justified – which they are not. But what turns – as Frank Gardner says – a young and intelligent man into a killer? What motive is behind his actions – should we address the issues? As an Irish citizen, what state would my country be in now if we never challenged or even reviewed the wishes of the IRA? Why do some American’s embrace Gerry Adams – a former IRA man – and donate money to IRA families who killed my innocent friends. Is this not like giving money to Al-Qaeda suicide bombers families and supporting terrorists like Bin Laden? Do you know how many deaths the IRA is responsible for in comparison to Al-Qaeda? Can anyone tell me the difference between the IRA and Al-Qaeda? Sure, of course on the basis of ideology they differ but they are both ruthless terrorists organisation. Nobody is born evil – nobody – but they lives are shaped by their environments. Therefore why not challenge the House of Saud instead of pussy footing – why not challenge Arab states such as Saudi Arabia. What state would my country be in now if we simply hated the IRA and never sought to understand their aims? What state will the world be in years from now if we allow ourselves to succumb to the hatred and total misunderstanding brewing in our societies? I dread to think.
"...you seem to think an innocent deserved to be shot for merely reporting the news."
I think the people on this thread are laughing more at the fool's inability to recognize or understand the nature of the threat against all of us. The terrorists don't care about a reporter's self-presumed "fairness". They want to KILL him, you, me, and every other infidel - period. The guy's own bias precludes him from seeing the obvious. The terrorists happily use western media to undermine the west - until it is their turn to die.
As far as compassion for the guy, I have very little - I'm sure he gets paid quite handsomely for what he does. I'm also sure his company (BBC, was it?) is quite happy to make lots of money off of his reporting. He knows the deal, just like any mercenary.
Put things in reverse. If that were you or I lying there on the ground shot, he would happily stand over our bleeding bodies offering up his "take" on the story, but his "journalistic ethics" would not allow him to get involved. He is no better than the people who stood around and watched him, except that he gets paid for it.
These reporters want to set themselves up as being above the rest of us - so be it, but why should anyone care overmuch when the natural result of their stupid choices happens?
"Not one of you have a clue what your talking about...you know nothing about the man"
I thought the article did a good job of showing his beliefs and giving us a "clue" about his ideals and what his thinking is in regards to his attackers.
I believe everyone here feels sorry for him and wishes him as normal a life as possible, but your missing the point. He's sitting there crippled for life and waiting for a little note of apology? After all he's been through and he hasn't learned a thing. And where I'm from thats called an idiot.