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New York City - NY Times Reporter Who Escaped Taliban Returns to Thunderous Applause |
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David Rohde of The Times was welcomed by colleagues on Wednesday after his escape from Afghanistan. He was joined by his wife, Kristen Mulvihill, right, and his Afghan translator Tahir Ludin. photo: James Estrin/The New York Times
Mr. Rohde, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, escaped from his captors two weeks ago, along with Tahir Ludin, an Afghan reporter who had served as his translator and escort.
In an intensely emotional moment, the two men walked into The Times’s newsroom to enormous waves of applause from scores of reporters and editors. At Mr. Rohde’s side was Kristen Mulvihill, his wife of only two months when he, Mr. Ludin and their driver, Asadullah Mangal, were abducted on Nov. 10 outside Kabul.
As the long ovation continued, Mr. Ludin wiped away tears. Some in the third-floor newsroom, in The Times’s building on Eighth Avenue in Midtown, seemed near tears themselves. Many, maybe most, had not been aware of their colleagues’ ordeal during the months that it lasted. The newspaper did not report on the kidnapping and persuaded other news organizations to follow its lead in the belief that publicity would have made Mr. Rohde more valuable to his captors as a bargaining chip, and perhaps reduced his chances of surviving.
Mr. Rohde, 41, is low-key by nature, and he was in character as he spoke briefly to the newsroom gathering.
He did not discuss details of his abduction or of his escape on June 19. But he allowed that Mr. Ludin had told the hostage takers that if they wanted to chop off Mr. Rohde’s head, they would have to chop off his own first. It was a chilling reminder of the dangers of reporting in Central Asia, where Daniel Pearl of The Wall Street Journal was murdered and beheaded in 2002.
Mr. Rohde spoke of Mr. Ludin’s bravery and said he represented true Islam and not the “twisted” form of their captors, whose hard-line interpretation of religion, he said, made them less humane.
He thanked The Times’s editors and its publisher, Arthur Sulzberger Jr., for their efforts to win his freedom, and he apologized for the worry he had caused everyone. Having wandered into a dangerous zone mere weeks after being married, he said, “I cemented my position as the worst newlywed husband ever.” Ms. Mulvihill shook her head in disagreement.
Mr. Rohde closed with a thought that he called “hokey,” but it clearly came from the heart.
“Over the next day,” he said, “hug your spouse, kiss your child, call your relatives, watch the sunset, watch the sunrise, thank your God and relish your life.”
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Read Comments (16) — Post Yours »
1
Jul 02, 2009 at 11:01 AM Man Says:
Look at Mr. Rohde's quote in the last sentence. What a Kiddush Hashem!
2
Jul 02, 2009 at 11:19 AM baloney Says:
the ny times quashed story because they cared about this guys safety?! I don't' think that has anything to with it. they didn't reporr on the story because they don't ever want to protray these terrorists as the evil incarnate they are. trust me if anyone but an arab terrorist would take an american reporter hostage it would be headlines. I doubt we will ever hear about the atrocities these guy perpetrated to him(even in a book deal) because these guys are just out to perpetreate their pro arab agenda
3
Jul 02, 2009 at 11:54 AM Anonymous Says:
I'm just wondering if those self-hating Jews and arab-loving pieces of garbage over at the new jerk times, will have the guts and courage to finally call out these loving “militants” for what they truly are...
The times, thru their anti American, anti Israel, vicious and ruthless agenda has constantly portrayed the most vicious barbaric beasts as compassionate decent human beings, whom we just don’t understand. On the other hand of course, we are constantly accused by these bigots as oppressors and mean.
Look, we all know what they're (the Times) all about and i don’t expect anything to change. I'm just venting my frustration.
I'm proud to say that i have not come in contact with their ranting publication in almost 8 years.
4
Jul 02, 2009 at 11:49 AM Anonymous Says:
“ Look at Mr. Rohde's quote in the last sentence. What a Kiddush Hashem! ”
read it again it is full of apikorsis i think yiu should take back your words
5
Jul 02, 2009 at 11:45 AM Pot Smoker Says:
“ the ny times quashed story because they cared about this guys safety?! I don't' think that has anything to with it. they didn't reporr on the story because they don't ever want to protray these terrorists as the evil incarnate they are. trust me if anyone but an arab terrorist would take an american reporter hostage it would be headlines. I doubt we will ever hear about the atrocities these guy perpetrated to him(even in a book deal) because these guys are just out to perpetreate their pro arab agenda ”
I will never understand what otherwise levelheaded NY Times reporter find so glamorous in these vicious muslim murderers.
6
Jul 02, 2009 at 01:13 PM Anonymous Says:
“
I'm just wondering if those self-hating Jews and arab-loving pieces of garbage over at the new jerk times, will have the guts and courage to finally call out these loving “militants” for what they truly are...
The times, thru their anti American, anti Israel, vicious and ruthless agenda has constantly portrayed the most vicious barbaric beasts as compassionate decent human beings, whom we just don’t understand. On the other hand of course, we are constantly accused by these bigots as oppressors and mean.
Look, we all know what they're (the Times) all about and i don’t expect anything to change. I'm just venting my frustration.
I'm proud to say that i have not come in contact with their ranting publication in almost 8 years.
”
Your ignorant, racist rant is a chillul hashem and an embarrassment to all Jews.
7
Jul 02, 2009 at 01:20 PM Raphael Kaufman Says:
“ read it again it is full of apikorsis i think yiu should take back your words ”
What apikorsus? Please explain.
8
Jul 02, 2009 at 01:06 PM Anonymous Says:
“ the ny times quashed story because they cared about this guys safety?! I don't' think that has anything to with it. they didn't reporr on the story because they don't ever want to protray these terrorists as the evil incarnate they are. trust me if anyone but an arab terrorist would take an american reporter hostage it would be headlines. I doubt we will ever hear about the atrocities these guy perpetrated to him(even in a book deal) because these guys are just out to perpetreate their pro arab agenda ”
What a mindjob they did on you! Think what you want about the NYTimes, but, like any other american company, they too care about their employees on a personal level. What an ignorant comment!
9
Jul 02, 2009 at 12:42 PM Anonymous Says:
“ read it again it is full of apikorsis i think yiu should take back your words ”
why dont you read it again your ignorant imbicle
10
Jul 02, 2009 at 12:39 PM 2frum4U Says:
the really sad part of the story is after all that, The Times layed him off.
11
Jul 02, 2009 at 02:46 PM Anonymous Says:
“ Your ignorant, racist rant is a chillul hashem and an embarrassment to all Jews.
”
exactly what part of the comment was racist?
12
Jul 02, 2009 at 03:17 PM Milhouse Says:
“ What apikorsus? Please explain. ”
Read it carefully. I missed it the first time too, but #4 is right. It's subtle, but it's there.
13
Jul 02, 2009 at 03:49 PM Raphael Kaufman Says:
“ Read it carefully. I missed it the first time too, but #4 is right. It's subtle, but it's there. ”
Got it. It is subtle. "Your" G-d
14
Jul 02, 2009 at 08:55 PM cp Says:
“ Got it. It is subtle. "Your" G-d ”
No. He meant "whatever your perception of God is". He didn't mean there are different gods.
The NYT was definitely right not to publicize it at the time. You people all think that everyone is out to get us.
15
Jul 02, 2009 at 11:00 PM tzoorba Says:
This leftist tool was let out by the Taliban because he was more useful propagandizing for them at the Times than being a prisoner.
16
Jul 03, 2009 at 10:30 AM FVNMS Says:
“ Your ignorant, racist rant is a chillul hashem and an embarrassment to all Jews.
”
Not to me. I'm proud of #6 and his/her comment. You and some other tachshitim who post here are the embarrassment. I'll bet the farm most here agree with me.