Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Another Bilal Hussein working for CTV in Afghanistan

Reports say he was captured in October, but I can't find anything on Google before today.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - A media advocacy group says a journalist with Canadian television station CTV has been held without charge by the U.S. military in Afghanistan since October, and the military should file charges or set him free.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said it is ``greatly concerned'' by the detention of Jawed Ahmad, an Afghan who worked for the network. He is being held at the military compound in Bagram north of Kabul.

Ahmad, 22, who is also known as Jojo Yazemi, was detained in the southern city of Kandahar in October. His brother, Siddique Ahmad, told The Associated Press that the military accused Jawed of having contact with local Taliban fighters. Jawed Ahmad said the military believed he had improper contact with Taliban officials because he had Taliban phone numbers and a video of Taliban materials, according to his brother.

It doesn't sound too unusual, but of course it's his brother who is providing the information. The U.S. military is not saying much.

Maj. Chris Belcher, a U.S. military spokesman, confirmed Tuesday that Ahmad is being held at the Bagram facility but said he could not discuss details of the case.

It is common for journalists in Afghanistan to have contact information of Taliban fighters so they can seek militants' comments for news stories.

2 comments:

Levi Hutton said...

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Levi Hutton said...

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