Western Journalists blindfolded and taken hostage in Peshawar, Pakistan

India, US, FOX | 10-8-2001 | see references

[Brian_Baldwin]

see comments below article, FOX reporting journalists taken blindfolded in Peshawar . . . also see India reports that Russians are closing in on bin Laden . . .

Taliban chief is mad, says doctor

Deccan Chronicle (India, October 8, 2001)

London, Oct. 7: Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban chief, Mullah Mohammad Omar, currently defying the US and its allies demand to hand over Saudi terrorist Osama bin Laden, is mentally unstable and suffers fits, a leading British daily said here today.

"He locks himself away for two or three days at a time and the official line is that he is having visions, but in fact he is suffering from brain seizures," the doctor who attends Omar was quoted by the The Sunday Telegraph as saying.

This is one of the reasons why the 43-year old cleric is so reclusive, the Telegraph in a report from its correspondent in Quetta said without disclosing the identity of the doctor who feared he would be killed.

Doctors believe that Omar’s mood swings may be a result of a shrapnel lodged in his brain when he lost an eye in 1989 during a Russian rocket attack on his mosque.

Apart from these fits, The Sunday Telegraph reported, the Taliban leader also suffers from serious depression, alternating with bouts of childlike behaviour where he sits in the driving seat of one of his cars, turning the wheel while making the noise of an engine.

Only one photograph exists of Omar, the newspaper reported adding that he is rarely seen outside the bomb-proof house built for him in Kandahar by Osama bin Laden, and most Afghans have no idea what he looks like. Omar has never travelled abroad apart to Pakistan, and has seen little of his country, only visiting Kabul twice.

When he does venture out, it is in a convoy of Japanese off-road vehicles with darkened windows and guntotting bodyguards, the newspaper said.

[Brian_Baldwin]

Meanwhile, the Afternoon Dispatch & Courier (India, 10-9-2001) is reporting that Russian commandos are zeroing in on bin Laden. A number of Western journalists have been blindfolded and taken hostage by the kooks ranting in the streets of Peshawar Pakistan (FOX reporting 1230am PST on cable network) - no, I am not kidding about either . . . Please, some low flying plane, drop a mess of liquid pig lard on these people, and call it "humanitarian aid" . . .

[Tree of Liberty]

Any idea which journalists? You initially made it sound like a reporter from Fox was the one taken hostage.

[Brian_Baldwin]

The human shit in Peshawar are being led by mussalmen who are wearing blue or black turban wrapped as headband around a white cone - this is the cone type turban worn by a particular tribe near Kabul . . . these people are being led by Afghanis, not even Pakistanis . . . look for the black-banded white cone heads . . .

[Skywalk]

Jeez, that story about Mullah Omar is kind of sad. That's not to say he doesn't deserve to be taken out, but suffering from brain seizures and making car noises like a kid because of shrapnel in the brain is a bit sad.

As for the Western journalists, um, can we send some Warthogs to Pakistan to kill these scumbag fanatics?

[Diddle E. Squat]

A number of Western journalists have been blindfolded and taken hostage by the kooks ranting in the streets of Peshawar Pakistan

Oh well, they knew the risks going in. Besides, we can't take extra risks to save any journalist just because they might be Brit or American, wouldn't want to jeopardize their objectivity. Those refusing to wear the flag pins surely will understand this as they stand tied up as human shields.

[Brian_Baldwin]

Turn on FOX right now . . . Brits reporting "western journalists" taken blindfolded and hostage . . . how many? FOX says "several", which sounds like less than a dozen . . .

[Diddle E. Squat]

Did you say BLUE TURBAN?

[Tall_Texan]

No big loss. Any journalists killed are just collateral damage.

Bush to Taliban: "If you think taking journalists hostage is going to soften my postion, you weren't following last year's election coverage...."

[dandelion]

Anthrax, war, hostages... can someon please make it stop so I can go to sleep? I can't sleep anymore, there's too much going on...

I actually begged my husband to put a password lock on the computer so I couldn't spend all night on it. But he's passed out in the other room so here I am again - headed for another three hours of sleep max. I know when I wake up the woo will have yet again hit the fan in ways I can't imagine.

[Cool Guy]

can someon please make it stop so I can go to sleep? I can't sleep anymore, there's too much going on...

You are not alone :p

[Brian_Baldwin]

valid points . . . by the way, Afghanis have been crossing into the area as pro-Taliban agitators in huge numbers just prior to the Sept. 11 terrorist attack - they knew ahead of time . . .

[Diddle E. Squat]

Ya know, Dan Rather went into the heart of a hurricane to report. If Peter Jennings was a real man....

[Cool Guy]

Those anti-war crazies, want us negotiate with these people.

[80skid]

Anybody just hear about what happened in Italy?

[Politicalmom]

Are you calling Dan Rather a real man? HAHAHAHAHA!!! Oh, sorry...... : )

[Cool Guy]

Russian commandos should not be allowed to take out bin Laden - it should be US THAT TAKES HIM OUT

After he is taken out, I want them to compare the DNA with that of his near relatives, just to make sure.

[Brian_Baldwin]

Black turban with white cone = Afghani from near Kabul . . . same with blue = soldier of warlord who entered North-West Frontier in 1940's and are Afghani killers . . . squareish little bennie = Baluchistani beggar who shines shoes and shouts death to Americans . . .

[Semaphore Heathcliffe]

I know when I wake up the woo will have yet again hit the fan in ways I can't imagine.

It's gotten the point that, with a little time between checks, you're guaranteed to see several stories working that, four weeks ago, would have been major headlines world wide. Interesting times, indeed. Sleep, work, personal hygiene...it all seems so irrelevant.

[Clinton's a rapist]

What's that?