1995-11-01
Christian Science Monitor Journalist Missing in Serb-Held Bosnia
(APW_ENG_19951101.0367)
1) The United Nations said Wednesday it was trying to locate an American journalist reported missing in Bosnian Serb territory.
2) But U.N. spokesman Jim Landale said there was no further information on the whereabouts of David Rohde, a reporter for the Christian Science Monitor, nor any confirmation he was being held by Bosnian Serb rebels.
3) Rohde, the Monitor's East European correspondent, was last heard from late Saturday, when he called an editor at the Boston-based newspaper and sent her a computer message with his plans for the next day.
4) Editor Faye Bowers said Rohde, 28, told her he planned to drive his rental car into Bosnian Serb territory Sunday and hoped to return to Sarajevo Sunday night. Bowers said Rohde did not specify what he was planning to write about.
5) A colleague of Rohde's called Bowers in the United States on Monday, worried because he had not returned. The Monitor said it learned Tuesday, through two independent sources, that the Bosnian Serbs were holding Rohde at their Pale headquarters, east of Sarajevo.
6) Rohde reported in mid-August that he had visited a site in eastern Bosnia believed to be one of the mass graves for people rounded up after the Serb capture of the U.N. ``safe area'' of Srebrenica.
7) Traveling without Bosnian Serb permission, Rohde said he saw what appeared to be a decomposing leg protruding from the dirt at the site, which was featured in a U.S. spy photo presented to the United Nations earlier. Scattered around the freshly dug earth, Rohde said he found empty ammunition boxes, as well as diplomas, photos and other personal items.
8) Rohde also reported that human feces, blood and other evidence at a nearby soccer stadium indicated that large numbers of people had been detained, and possibly shot, there.
9) In mid-October, Bosnian Serbs detained three journalists working for The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and The Independent in London, saying they objected to some of their stories. All three were released unharmed after spending a night in detention at a police station in a Serb-controlled suburb of Sarajevo.
10) Rohde, who is not married, has been based in Zagreb, Croatia, since last November. His family lives in New England.


Christian Science Monitor Journalist Missing in Serb-Held Bosnia
(APW_ENG_19951101.0372)
1) The United Nations said Wednesday it was trying to locate an American journalist reported missing in Bosnian Serb territory.
2) But U.N. spokesman Jim Landale said there was no further information on the whereabouts of David Rohde, a reporter for the Christian Science Monitor, nor any confirmation he was being held by Bosnian Serb rebels.
3) Rohde, the Monitor's East European correspondent, was last heard from late Saturday, when he called an editor at the Boston-based newspaper and sent her a computer message with his plans for the next day.
4) Editor Faye Bowers said Rohde, 28, told her he planned to drive his rental car into Bosnian Serb territory on Sunday and hoped to return to Sarajevo that night. Bowers said Rohde did not specify what he was planning to write about.
5) A colleague of Rohde's called Bowers in the United States on Monday, worried because he had not returned. The Monitor said it learned on Tuesday, through two independent sources, that the Bosnian Serbs were holding Rohde at their Pale headquarters, east of Sarajevo.
6) Rohde reported in mid-August that he had visited a site in eastern Bosnia believed to be one of the mass graves for people rounded up after the Serb capture of the U.N. ``safe area'' Srebrenica.
7) Traveling without Bosnian Serb permission, Rohde said he saw what appeared to be a decomposing leg protruding from the dirt at the site, which was featured in a U.S. spy photo presented to the United Nations earlier. Rohde said he found empty ammunition boxes and personal item such as diplomas and photographs scattered around the freshly dug earth.
8) Rohde also reported that human feces, blood and other evidence at a nearby soccer stadium indicated that large numbers of people had been detained and possibly shot there.
9) In mid-October, Bosnian Serbs detained three journalists working for The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and The Independent in London, saying they objected to some of their stories. All three were released unharmed after spending a night in detention at a police station in a Serb-controlled suburb of Sarajevo.
10) Rohde, who is not married, has been based in Zagreb, Croatia, since last November. His family lives in New England.



1995-11-02
Christian Science Monitor Journalist Missing in Serb-Held Bosnia By RICHARD LORANT
(APW_ENG_19951102.0366)
1) An American journalist reported missing in Bosnian Serb territory is alive and in Serb hands, the United Nations said Thursday.
2) A ``high-level Bosnian Serb official'' informed the United Nations that David Rohde is being held in the Bosnian Serb stronghold of Pale, said Clayton Jones, international editor of the Christian Science Monitor.
3) ``There's no word, other than that he's alive. But the U.N. assumes they wouldn't report him alive if his condition is bad,'' Jones said.
4) Rohde, the Monitor's East European correspondent, was last heard from late Saturday, when he called an editor at the Boston-based newspaper and sent her a computer message with his plans for the next day.
5) Chris Gunness of the United Nations in Zagreb, Croatia, said his organization was working for Rohde's swift release.
6) ``We hope that now that they have informed us that they're holding him, that they will realize their responsibilities to guarantee his safety and security,'' Gunness said.
7) The Monitor received a call from the United Nations in Zagreb at 7 this morning, while members of Rohde's family were gathered in the paper's offices to do a television interview on ABC's ``Good Morning America.''
8) ``We were about to go on, and the control room called to say, `Anything new?''' said Rohde's brother, Erik. ``It took five days but it's OK.''
9) Jones said the State Department has raised the issue of Rohde's capture with Serb officials at U.S.-brokered peace talks which opened Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio.
10) Rohde, 28, reported in mid-August that he had visited a site in eastern Bosnia believed to be one of the mass graves for people rounded up after the Serb capture of the U.N. ``safe area'' of Srebrenica.
11) Traveling without Serb permission, Rohde reported finding human remains, and spent ammunition. Jones said it was unclear whether his reporting on the massacre was a factor in Rohde's capture.
12) ``A lot of journalists are detained. Another thing is how is he treated once they discover it was David Rohde who exposed on-ground evidence of the massacre,'' Jones said.
13) In mid-October, Bosnian Serbs detained three journalists working for The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and The Independent in London, saying they objected to some of their stories. All three were released unharmed after spending a night in detention at a police station in a Serb-controlled suburb of Sarajevo.
14) Rohde, who is not married, has been based in Zagreb, Croatia, since last November. His family lives in New England.



1995-11-04
Held US Journalist In Good Shape, Serb Official Says
(APW_ENG_19951104.0210)
1) An American journalist held by rebel Serbs in Bosnia is in good shape, a senior Serb security official said Saturday.
2) The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also said a delegation of the American Embassy in Belgrade would visit the detained journalist Saturday. The ebassy refused to comment.
3) Bosnian Serbs Friday confirmed that they were holding David Rohde, East European correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor, who disappeared more than a week ago.
4) Rohde, who has written about Bosnian Serb alleged atrocities against Muslims, was last heard from late Saturday, when he sent an editor at his newspaper a computer message detailing his plans for the next day. According to U.N. reports, Rohde left Sarajevo by car and headed east toward Srebrenica.
5) Bosnian Serb police said Rohde had been detained for ``illegally crossing the border ... with forged documents.'' He is reportedly held in Zvornik, close to Srebrenica on the Bosnian-Serbian border.
6) The security official in the Serb stronghold of Pale east of Sarajevo said Rohde was detained on his way to Srebrenica, gathering information on possible mass graves in the area.
7) He added that a legal procedure was underway against Rohde for his alleged offenses, indicating he might not be released soon. He gave no further details.
8) Thousands of Muslim men were allegedly killed by the Serbs when they overran the Srebrenica enclave on July 11. International organizations have been demanding permissions to inspect reported mass graves in the region.
9) U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights John Shattuck was due to visit the region shortly in an effort to check allegations of mass murder.


Progress Made on Release of US Reporters, Says Western Diplomat Eds: Recasts Ld and throughout to expand and UPDATE with UN saying
(APW_ENG_19951104.0485)
1) U.S. and U.N. officials seeking the release of U.S. journalist David Rohde met with his rebel Serb captors Saturday, and a senior Western diplomat said progress was made on securing his freedom.
2) Rohde, East European correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor, was detained a week ago. He was the first western journalist to reach the Srebrenica region after the Muslim enclave fell to the rebels July 11 to report on evidence of mass killings of unarmed Muslims by the rebels.
3) The rebels' self-styled Interior Ministry, which runs their police, said Rohde had been detained in Zvornik, close to Srebrenica on the Bosnian-Serbian border, for ``illegally crossing the border ... with forged documents.''
4) The diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Rohde ``could be released soon.'' U.N. spokesman Yuriy Chizik said the meeting between the rebels and U.N. and U.S. representatives occured in Lukavica, a southern Sarajevo suburb held by the Serbs.
5) Information about Rhode's whereabouts and other details of his captivity has been scarce and confusing.
6) Bosnian Serb police sources said Friday Rohde was being held in Pale, the Bosnian Serb stronghold just east of Sarajevo. But on Saturday, a U.N. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said in Sarajevo that Rohde was now in Bijeljina, a Serb-held town in the northeastern tip of Bosnia.
7) A Serb official in Pale, also asking for anomymity, said Rohde was well and said U.S. diplomats from Belgrade would visit him sometime in the day. But the State Department in Washington said it was unable to confirm such plans and its Belgrade embassy denied knowledge of such a meeting.
8) Rohde was last heard from a week ago when he sent an editor at his newspaper a computer message detailing his plans for the next day. According to U.N. reports, Rohde left Sarajevo by car and headed east toward Srebrenica.
9) Thousands of Muslim men were allegedly killed by the Serbs when the rebels overran the Srebrenica enclave. International organizations have been demanding permission to inspect alleged mass graves in the region reported by U.S. intelligence services and witnesses who escaped the reported carnage.
10) In Dayton, Ohio, where Balkan peace talks are taking place, the
11) State Department's top human rights official, John Shattuck, and the U.S. ambassador to Bosnia, John Menzies, met with Serbian and Bosnian Serb officials Thursday and demanded Rohde's release.
12) State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns said the U.S. embassies in Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia have been asked to work full-time on the issue.


Report: Progress Made on Release of American Reporter Eds: Stands as 2nd Ld-Writethru to some points, UPDATING with phone
(APW_ENG_19951104.0748)
1) American and United Nations officials met Saturday with Bosnian Serbs holding an American journalist, and a senior Western diplomat said he could be released soon.
2) Christian Science Monitor correspondent David Rohde spoke with his family by telephone Saturday, the first word from the reporter since he disappeared seven days ago.
3) Family members were ``very encouraged'' by the conversation and ``relieved to know he was alive and well,'' said Lawrence Goodrich, spokesman for the newspaper.
4) Relatives had gathered at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, site of Bosnian peace talks, to talk with Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke and a Bosnian Serb representative.
5) The overseas meeting on Rohde's release took place in Lukavica, a southern Sarajevo suburb held by the Serbs, U.N. spokesman Yuriy Chizik said.
6) Rohde last had been heard from Oct. 28, when he sent an editor a computer message detailing his plans for the next day.
7) The United Nations said Rohde left Sarajevo by car and headed east toward the eastern Serb-held town of Srebrenica. The rebels say he illegally crossed into their territory.
8) Rohde was the first Western journalist to reach the town to report on evidence of mass killings of unarmed Muslims after the enclave fell to the Serbs on July 11.
9) International organizations have been demanding permission to inspect alleged mass graves in the region, as reported by U.S. intelligence services and witnesses who escaped the reported carnage.
10) There have been conflicting accounts on where he is being held.
11) On Friday, the rebels' self-styled Interior Ministry said Rohde was detained in Zvornik, close to Srebrenica. Bosnian Serb police sources said Rohde was being held in Pale, the Bosnian Serb stronghold just east of Sarajevo.
12) But on Saturday, a U.N. official in Sarajevo, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Rohde was now in Bijeljina, a Serb-held town in the northeastern tip of Bosnia.
13) A Serb official in Pale, also asking for anonymity, said Rohde was well and said U.S. diplomats from Belgrade would visit him sometime in the day. But the State Department in Washington said it was unable to confirm such plans and its Belgrade embassy denied knowledge of any meeting.



1995-11-05
U.N., U.S. Officials Visit American Reporter
(APW_ENG_19951105.0815)
1) American and United Nations officials on Sunday visited an American journalist held by Bosnian Serbs, and a U.N. official said he hoped he would be released soon.
2) A United Nations statement released here said officials from the U.N. peacekeeping mission and the U.S. embassy in Sarajevo had visited Christian Science Monitor correspondent David Rohde in a Bosnian Serb prison.
3) ``Mr. Rohde appeared in sound health, although he has now spent eight days in detention and is fatigued,'' said the statement. It said the journalist was serving a 15-day sentence after being accused of falsifying press documents.
4) Antonio Pedauye, U.N. civilian affairs chief, had contacted Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and asked for Rohde's ``immediate release,'' said the statement.
5) It did not say where Rohde was being held but U.N. officials have said privately he was in prison in Bijeljina, a Serb-held town in northeastern Bosnia near the Serbian border.
6) Officials at the U.S. embassy refused to comment.
7) Rohde disappeared after he sent an editor a computer message Oct. 28, detailing his plans for the next day.
8) The United Nations said Rohde left Sarajevo by car and headed east toward the eastern Serb-held town of Srebrenica. The rebels say he illegally crossed into their territory.
9) Rohde was the first Western journalist to reach the town to report on evidence of mass killings of unarmed Muslims after the enclave fell to the Serbs last July.



1995-11-07
Bosnian Serbs: Charge Journalist With Espionage or Pardon Him By SRECKO LATAL
(APW_ENG_19951107.1175)
1) Rebel Serbs are deciding whether to charge a Christian Science Monitor reporter with espionage or pardon him for the sake of peace, the Bosnian Serb news agency said.
2) SRNA reported Tuesday that Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic ``is considering the possibility of pardoning the arrested American journalist as a sign of good will and contribution to the peace talks ... in Dayton.''
3) But prosecutors, the report said, were considering whether to charge David Rohde with espionage.
4) Rohde, the Monitor's Eastern Europe correspondent based in Zagreb, Croatia, disappeared after contacting his editors Oct. 28. He had written extensively on rights violations by Serbs against Muslims in Srebrenica, Bosnia.
5) On Friday, Bosnian Serbs confirmed they had detained Rohde, who was tried and convicted of illegal entry into Bosnian Serb territory and of falsifying documents.
6) ``These are kangaroo court-type charges, well known from the communist era, well known when Americans and others found themselves in trouble behind the Iron Curtain in decades past,'' State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns said Monday. ``We reject the charges against Mr. Rohde.''
7) Rohde's brother Lee, meanwhile, arrived in Sarajevo Tuesday.
8) Lee Rohde said he had come after Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. mediator for Yugoslav peace talks in Dayton, Ohio, had recommended one family member come, ``hopefully anticipating the release of my brother.''
9) Rohde said his brother seemed in good shape when he spoke to the family from his Serb captivity two days ago. There was ``no severe abuse of any kind that we know of.''



1995-11-08
Bosnian Serb Leader: American Journalist to be Released From Jail
(APW_ENG_19951108.0437)
1) The Bosnian Serb leader said Wednesday that he would release David Rohde, an American reporter held captive for almost two weeks. A police source said the journalist already had been freed.
2) In statement faxed to The Associated Press, Radovan Karadzic said the Christian Science Monitor reporter would be released ``as a sign of goodwill and contribution to the peace talks'' in Dayton, Ohio.
3) Rohde, the Monitor's Eastern Europe correspondent based in Zagreb, Croatia, disappeared after contacting his editors Oct. 28. He had written on rights violations by Serbs against Muslims in Srebrenica, Bosnia.
4) Last Friday, Bosnian Serbs confirmed they had detained Rohde, who was tried and convicted of illegal entry into Bosnian Serb territory and of falsifying documents. Karadzic said Wednesday that Rohde was ``cleared of all charges.''
5) A senior police official in the northeastern Serb-held Bosnian town of Bijeljina, where Rohde was held, reported that he already had been turned over to Serbian security officials, who mediated the release.
6) The Bijeljina police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Rohde would be taken to the Serbian capital Belgrade, and then flown to the United States.
7) Rohde's brother Lee, had arrived in Sarajevo on Tuesday.
8) Lee Rohde said he had come after Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. mediator for Yugoslav peace talks in Dayton, had recommended one family member come, ``hopefully anticipating the release of my brother.''
9) Rohde said his brother seemed in good shape when he spoke to the family from his Serb captivity two days ago. There was ``no severe abuse of any kind that we know of.''


Bosnian Serb Leader: American Journalist to be Released From Jail Eds: UPDATES with 7 grafs with Monitor colleagues' reaction. Picks
(APW_ENG_19951108.0488)
1) The Bosnian Serb leader said Wednesday that he would release David Rohde, an American reporter held captive for almost two weeks. A police source said the journalist already had been freed.
2) In statement faxed to The Associated Press, Radovan Karadzic said the Christian Science Monitor reporter would be released ``as a sign of goodwill and contribution to the peace talks'' in Dayton, Ohio.
3) Rohde, the Monitor's Eastern Europe correspondent based in Zagreb, Croatia, disappeared after contacting his editors Oct. 28. He had written on rights violations by Serbs against Muslims in Srebrenica, Bosnia.
4) Last Friday, Bosnian Serbs confirmed they had detained Rohde, who was tried and convicted of illegal entry into Bosnian Serb territory and of falsifying documents. Karadzic said Wednesday that Rohde was ``cleared of all charges.''
5) A senior police official in the northeastern Serb-held Bosnian town of Bijeljina, where Rohde was held, reported that he already had been turned over to Serbian security officials, who mediated the release.
6) Rohde's Boston-based colleagues were waiting for word from the journalist before starting their celebration.
7) ``Until he's out of Serb territory, we can't relax,'' said international editor Clayton Jones. ``We were expecting it today. So we're hoping to make contact with him real soon.''
8) The Bijeljina police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Rohde would be taken to the Serbian capital Belgrade, and then flown to the United States.
9) Rohde's brother Lee, had arrived in Sarajevo on Tuesday.
10) Lee Rohde said he had come after Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. mediator for Yugoslav peace talks in Dayton, had recommended one family member come, ``hopefully anticipating the release of my brother.''
11) Rohde said his brother seemed in good shape when he spoke to the family from his Serb captivity two days ago. There was ``no severe abuse of any kind that we know of.''


Bosnian Serb Leader: American Journalist to be Released From Jail Eds: Leads throughout with UN source saying release expected. No
(APW_ENG_19951108.0510)
1) The Bosnian Serb leader said Wednesday that he would release David Rohde, an American reporter held captive for almost two weeks. A police source said the journalist already had been freed.
2) In statement faxed to The Associated Press, Radovan Karadzic said the Christian Science Monitor reporter would be released ``as a sign of goodwill and contribution to the peace talks'' in Dayton, Ohio.
3) Rohde, the Monitor's Eastern Europe correspondent based in Zagreb, Croatia, disappeared after contacting his editors Oct. 28. He had written on rights violations by Serbs against Muslims in Srebrenica, Bosnia.
4) Last Friday, Bosnian Serbs confirmed they had detained Rohde, who was tried and convicted of illegal entry into Bosnian Serb territory and of falsifying documents. Karadzic said Wednesday that Rohde was ``cleared of all charges.''
5) A senior police official in the northeastern Serb-held Bosnian town of Bijeljina, where Rohde was held, reported that he already had been turned over to Serbian security officials, who mediated the release.
6) Rohde's Boston-based colleagues were waiting for word from the journalist before starting their celebration.
7) ``Until he's out of Serb territory, we can't relax,'' said international editor Clayton Jones. ``We were expecting it today. So we're hoping to make contact with him real soon.''
8) The Bijeljina police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Rohde would be taken to the Serbian capital Belgrade, and then flown to the United States.
9) A U.N. source in Sarajevo, who spoke only condition of anonymity, confirmed that Rohde's release was expected.
10) The source said the release was the result of strong U.S. pressure, and contacts between U.S. and Bosnian Serb officials on Monday and Tuesday.
11) Rohde's brother Lee, arrived in Sarajevo on Tuesday. He said he made the trip after Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. mediator for Yugoslav peace talks in Dayton, recommended one family member come, ``hopefully anticipating the release of my brother.''
12) Rohde said his brother seemed in good shape when he spoke to the family from his Serb captivity two days ago. There was ``no severe abuse of any kind that we know of.''


Bosnian Serb Leader: American Journalist to be Released From Jail Eds: LEADS throughout with Bosnian Serb news agency says Rohde has
(APW_ENG_19951108.0589)
1) Bosnian Serbs said Wednesday that they have freed an American reporter held captive nearly two weeks, as a sign of goodwill toward peace negotiations under way in the United States.
2) In a statement faxed earlier in the day to The Associated Press, Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic said David Rohde, a reporter for the Christian Science Monitor, was ``cleared of all charges.''
3) Rohde, he said, would be released ``as a sign of goodwill and contribution to the peace talks,'' in Dayton, Ohio.
4) The Bosnian Serb news agency SRNA later reported that Rohde had been freed. A senior police official in the northeastern Serb-held Bosnian town of Bijeljina, where Rohde was held, reported that he was turned over to Serbian security officials, who mediated the release.
5) The Bijeljina police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Rohde would be taken from Bijeljina to Zvornik, 25 miles (40 kilometers) to the south, and flown by helicopter to Belgrade, where he would be transferred to a plane bound for the United States.
6) Rohde, the Monitor's Eastern Europe correspondent based in Zagreb, Croatia, disappeared after contacting his editors Oct. 28. He had written on rights violations by Serbs against Muslims in Srebrenica, Bosnia.
7) On Friday, Bosnian Serbs confirmed they had detained Rohde, who was tried and convicted of illegal entry into Bosnian Serb territory and of falsifying documents. Karadzic's statement Wednesday said Rohde was cleared of those charges.
8) A U.N. source in Sarajevo, who spoke only condition of anonymity, had confirmed that Rohde's release was expected.
9) The source said the release was the result of strong U.S. pressure, and contacts between U.S. and Bosnian Serb officials Monday and Tuesday.
10) Rohde's colleagues were waiting to hear whether he was safe. ``Until he's out of Serb territory, we can't relax,'' said Clayton Jones, the international editor. ``We were expecting it today. So we're hoping to make contact with him real soon.''
11) Rohde's brother Lee arrived in Sarajevo on Tuesday. He said he made the trip after Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. mediator for Yugoslav peace talks in Dayton, recommended one family member come, ``hopefully anticipating the release of my brother.''
12) Rohde said his brother seemed in good shape when he spoke to the family from his Serb captivity two days ago. There was ``no severe abuse of any kind that we know of.''


Bosnian Serb Leader: American Journalist to be Released From Jail Eds: Leads throughout with Rohde turned over to U.S. Embassy staff
(APW_ENG_19951108.0682)
1) Bosnian Serbs on Wednesday released a U.S. reporter held captive for almost two weeks, saying it was a sign of goodwill toward peace negotiations under way in the United States.
2) David Rohde of the Christian Science Monitor was turned over to U.S. Embassy officials in Belgrade by Serbian security officials, who mediated the release.
3) A tired-looking Rohde said he was ``very happy and very grateful to the security service for getting me out of Bosnia.''
4) In a statement faxed to The Associated Press earlier Wednesday, Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic said Rohde was ``cleared of all charges'' and would be released ``as a sign of goodwill and contribution to the peace talks,'' in Dayton, Ohio.
5) Rohde, the Monitor's Eastern Europe correspondent based in Zagreb, Croatia, disappeared after contacting his editors Oct. 28. He had written on rights violations by Serbs against Muslims in Srebrenica, Bosnia.
6) On Friday, Bosnian Serbs confirmed they had detained Rohde, who was tried and convicted of illegal entry into Bosnian Serb territory and of falsifying documents. Karadzic's statement Wednesday said Rohde was cleared of those charges.
7) A U.N. source in Sarajevo, who spoke only condition of anonymity, said the release was the result of strong U.S. pressure, and contacts between U.S. and Bosnian Serb officials Monday and Tuesday.
8) Rohde's colleagues were waiting to hear whether he was safe. ``Until he's out of Serb territory, we can't relax,'' said Clayton Jones, the international editor. ``We were expecting it today. So we're hoping to make contact with him real soon.''
9) Rohde's brother Lee arrived in Sarajevo on Tuesday. He said he made the trip after Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. mediator for Yugoslav peace talks in Dayton, recommended one family member come, ``hopefully anticipating the release of my brother.''
10) Rohde said his brother seemed in good shape when he spoke to the family from his Serb captivity two days ago. There was ``no severe abuse of any kind that we know of.''


American Journalist Released From Bosnian Serb Jail Eds: Leads throughout to UPDATE with reaction from Christian
(APW_ENG_19951108.0704)
1) Bosnian Serbs on Wednesday released a U.S. reporter held captive for almost two weeks, saying it was a sign of goodwill towards peace negotiations under way in the United States.
2) David Rohde of the Christian Science Monitor was turned over to U.S. Embassy officials in Belgrade by Serbian security officials, who mediated the release.
3) A tired-looking Rohde said he was ``very happy and very grateful to the security service for getting me out of Bosnia.''
4) In a statement faxed to The Associated Press earlier Wednesday, Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic said Rohde was ``cleared of all charges'' and would be released ``as a sign of goodwill and contribution to the peace talks,'' near Dayton, Ohio.
5) Rohde, the Monitor's Eastern Europe correspondent based in Zagreb, Croatia, disappeared after contacting his editors Oct. 28. He had written on rights violations by Serbs against Muslims in the Bosnian city of Srebrenica.
6) On Friday, Bosnian Serbs confirmed they had detained Rohde, who was tried and convicted of illegal entry into Bosnian Serb territory and of falsifying documents.
7) A U.N. source in Sarajevo, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the release was the result of strong U.S. pressure, and contacts between U.S. and Bosnian Serb officials.
8) In the Monitor's Boston newsroom, where some staffers had barely slept since Rohde's capture, fatigue gave way to celebration Wednesday.
9) ``We're all relieved, we're all very happy,'' said international editor Clayton Jones, who went to Dayton for two days to plead Rohde's case to negotiators there.
10) ``We're waiting with great anticipation for a phone call from David. There's a great sense of release that this ordeal's over,'' he said.
11) The Monitor issued a statement expressing gratitude to international organizations and political leaders who helped win Rohde's release and denying Bosnian Serb allegations that he was doing anything improper.
12) ``Now that David is safe, we want to state unequivocally that David was on a journalistic assignment for the Monitor. Claims that he was engaged in espionage are totally false,'' said David Cook, the Monitor's editor.
13) Rohde's brother Lee arrived in Sarajevo on Tuesday. He said he made the trip after Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. mediator for Yugoslav peace talks in Dayton, recommended one family member come, ``hopefully anticipating the release of my brother.''
14) Rohde said his brother seemed in good shape when he spoke to the family from his Serb captivity two days ago. There was ``no severe abuse of any kind that we know of.''


American Journalist Released From Bosnian Serb Jail Eds: UPDATES with White House comment.
(APW_ENG_19951108.0885)
1) Bosnian Serbs on Wednesday released a U.S. reporter held captive for almost two weeks, saying it was a sign of goodwill toward peace negotiations under way in the United States.
2) David Rohde of the Christian Science Monitor was turned over to U.S. Embassy officials in Belgrade by Serbian security officials, who mediated the release.
3) A tired-looking Rohde said he was ``very happy and very grateful to the security service for getting me out of Bosnia.''
4) In a statement faxed to The Associated Press earlier Wednesday, Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic said Rohde was ``cleared of all charges'' and would be released ``as a sign of goodwill and contribution to the peace talks,'' near Dayton, Ohio.
5) U.S. President Clinton called Rohde to express his gratitude for the journalist's ``courageous reporting'' on atrocities in Bosnia, the White House said. ``We're glad he's been released,'' spokesman Mike McCurry said.
6) Rohde, the Monitor's, 5th graf previous.



1995-11-09
U.S. Reporter Heading Home after Release from Bosnian Serb Jail
(APW_ENG_19951109.0315)
1) A U.S. reporter held by Bosnian Serb rebels for nearly two weeks left Serbia on Thursday for the United States, U.S. Embassy sources said.
2) David Rohde of the Christian Science Monitor was turned over to U.S. Embassy officials in Belgrade on Wednesday by Serb security officers, who mediated his release.
3) Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic called the release a goodwill gesture to help peace talks.
4) U.S. Embassy sources said Rohde would first fly to an unspecified northern European city, then continue to Boston.
5) ``I feel very relieved and very happy to be out, and I'm grateful to the Serbian security corps for getting me out,'' Rohde told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Wednesday.
6) Karadzic, in a statement faxed to The AP, said Rohde was ``cleared of all charges'' and would be released ``as a sign of goodwill and contribution to the peace talks,'' in Dayton, Ohio.
7) However, a U.N. source in Sarajevo, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the release was the result of strong U.S. pressure.
8) Rohde, the Monitor's Eastern Europe correspondent based in Zagreb, Croatia, disappeared after contacting his editors Oct. 28. He had investigated what are suspected to be mass graves near Srebrenica, an eastern Bosnian enclave the Serbs captured in July. Survivors say the Serbs slaughtered several thousand Muslim men after capturing the enclave.
9) He was freed from a jail in the Serb-held town of Bijeljina in northeastern Bosnia.
10) ``I was treated well physically,'' he said. ``There was continuous questioning whether I was a CIA agent. ... I think the whole thing was more political than anything else.''
11) The Bosnian Serbs said Rohde was tried and convicted of illegal entry into Bosnian Serb territory and of falsifying documents, and that prosecutors had considered charging him with espionage.
12) Monitor Editor David Cook said claims that Rohde was spying were ``totally false.''



1996-04-09
URGENT NEW YORK: nicotine potency.
(APW_ENG_19960409.0849)
1) David Rohde of The Christian Science Monitor won the international reporting award for his reports on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
2) MORE



2005-05-11
ConAgra searches for leader after CEO steps down
(APW_ENG_20050511.0989)
1) ConAgra Foods Inc. is looking for a new chief executive and chairman after Bruce Rohde said he is stepping down after eight years at the helm and transforming an agriculturally based conglomerate into a more focused packaged-foods retailer.
2) Bruce Rohde, 56, asked the company's board of directors Tuesday for a search committee. A time table was not established, ConAgra spokesman Chris Kircher said Wednesday.
3) Whether Rohde would remain with the company in some capacity, such as chairman, was not immediately known, Kircher said. How the succession proceeds will depend on who the candidates are, Kircher said.
4) In a news release, Rohde, who has been chief executive since September 1997 and chairman since 1998, said the company had made progress and was poised for new growth.
5) The search committee will be led by ConAgra board member Steven Goldstone, retired chairman and chief executive of RJR Nabisco, board members said.
6) Kircher said Rohde had initiated discussion of his succession. Rohde was not immediately available to comment.
7) When Rohde took charge, about half of ConAgra's sales involved commodities such as fresh beef, pork, chicken and canned seafood. Rohde sold those business and last year, more than 80 percent of ConAgra's sales came from branded foods and value-added foods.
8) Now one of the largest U.S. food companies, its brands include Act II popcorn, Healthy Choice, Banquet, Chef Boyardee and Manwich.
9) ConAgra has struggled as it sought to centralize management, improve its technology and consolidate its processing plants.
10) In March, the company said its third-quarter operating profit in the period ended Feb. 27 fell 12.6 percent, to $396 million (euro307 million), compared with the year before, because of weak results in refrigerated branded meats, food production problems and inefficiencies in technology consolidation.
11) ConAgra shares rose 8 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $27.15 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange, where they have traded in a 52-week range of $25.38 to $30.24.



2005-08-31
ConAgra names former PepsiCo CEO as new president, CEO
(APW_ENG_20050831.1070)
1) ConAgra Foods Inc. on Wednesday named a former top executive of PepsiCo Inc. as its new president and chief executive.
2) Gary Rodkin, the chairman and CEO of PepsiCo Beverages, succeeds Bruce Rohde, who announced earlier this year he wanted to leave the company.
3) Rodkin, 53, will take over on Oct. 1, when he will also be made a member of the board of directors.
4) Omaha-based ConAgra is one of the nation's largest processed food companies, with brands such as Chef Boyardee, Egg Beaters and Parkay.
5) "Gary is a quality person and a proven leader. His record of growing brands, marketing excellence and leading people is exactly what we need. He is fully ready for this opportunity and our people are ready to respond," Rohde said in a statement.
6) Rodkin was most recently chairman and chief executive of PepsiCo Beverages and Foods North America. He joined PepisCo in 1998 when the company acquired Tropicana, where he had been president for North America since 1995. He has previously worked at General Mills and served as president of Yoplait-Colombo.
7) Rohde had been CEO of ConAgra for eight years. Rohde also had been chairman since 1998.



2009-06-20
NYT reporter escapes from Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0427)
1) A New York Times reporter is free after more than seven months in captivity in Afghanistan and the newspaper says he and an Afghan reporter escaped from the militants holding them by climbing over a wall.
2) David Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahir Ludin climbed over the wall of a compound in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan, where they were being held captive. The Times says a Pakistani army scout led them to a nearby base, where the two were flown to the U.S. base at Bagram in Afghanistan on Saturday.
3) Rohde, 41, traveled to Kabul in early November to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan. He was taken by militants on Nov. 10 in Logar, one province south of Kabul.


NYT reporter escapes from Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0588)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver chose to remain with their captors and join the Taliban.
7) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
8) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
9) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
10) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
11) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
12) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
13) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
14) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.


NYT reporter escapes from Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0589)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Frida climedovr hewal f cmpun wer teywee el apiv in te North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver chose to remain with their captors and join the Taliban.
7) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
8) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
9) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
10) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months buttht o raso mne hd ee pid
11) Krstn ulihill Rhde'swife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
12) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
13) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
14) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.


NYT reporter escapes from Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0591)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver chose to remain with their captors and join the Taliban.
7) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
8) "From the early days of thi odel,th pevilngviw mog Daids amly epetsinkinapping ases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
9) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
10) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
11) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
12) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
13) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
14) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srereic.


New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0618)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver chose to remain with their captors and join the Taliban.
7) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
8) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
9) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
10) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
11) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
12) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
13) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year said the government had little control outside the provincial capital and that Taliban and other militants frequently set up checkpoints on highways.
14) In January, the U.S. military deployed more than 3,000 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
15) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar province has militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
16) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kabul around the time Rohde was abducted. Both were released within a month.
17) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The Pakistan government said in a statement earlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
18) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his son had made the trip but that he understood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his book honestly portray not just the one side but the other side as well."
19) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
20) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
21) During that time, Rohde was taken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
22) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his editors an e-mail that he knew they would receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
23) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
24) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
25) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0619)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a neabybae,th Tme sid O Studa, hetw wreflwnto th U.S military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver chose to remain with their captors and join the Taliban.
7) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
8) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
9) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
10) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
11) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has bee in apivty"Sh tanedth Tme, heU.. ovrnen ad "ll the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
12) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
13) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year said the government had little control outside the provincial capital and that Taliban and other militants frequently set up checkpoints on highways.
14) In January, the U.S. military deployed more than 3,000 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
15) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar province has militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
16) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kabul around the time Rohde was abducted. Both were released within a month.
17) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. ThePaisangoermet ai i astteen erlerths yer ha Richrd Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
18) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his son had made the trip but that he understood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his book honestly portray not just the one side but the other side as well."
19) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
20) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
21) During that time, Rohde was taken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
22) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his editors an e-mail that he knew they would receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
23) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
24) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
25) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srbrnia.'


New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0620)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say wheter te tae eprten o CA adflwnth to o hemiitry faciity.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver chose to remain with their captors and join the Taliban.
7) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
8) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
9) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
10) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
11) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
12) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about thehistory f AmrianinolemntinAfhaisanwhn e en t Lga to nterview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
13) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year said the government had little control outside the provincial capital and that Taliban and other militants frequently set up checkpoints on highways.
14) In January, the U.S. military deployed more than 3,000 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
15) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar province has militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
16) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kabul around the time Rohde was abducted. Both were released within a month.
17) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The Pakistan government said in a statement earlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
18) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that e egeted tathi sn admae hetrp uttht e ndrsood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his book honestly portray not just the one side but the other side as well."
19) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
20) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
21) During that time, Rohde was taken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
22) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his editors an e-mail that he knew they would receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
23) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
24) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
25) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0663)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver chose to remain with their captors and join the Taliban.
7) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
8) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
9) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
10) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
11) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
12) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
13) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year said the government had little control outside the provincial capital and that Taliban and other militants frequently set up checkpoints on highways.
14) In January, the U.S. military deployed more than 3,000 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
15) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar province has militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
16) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kabul around the time Rohde was abducted. Both were released within a month.
17) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The Pakistan government said in a statement earlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
18) Holbrooke, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President George W. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, were actively involved in seeking Rohde's release.
19) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his son had made the trip but that he understood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his book honestly portray not just the one side but the other side as well."
20) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
21) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
22) During that time, Rohde was taken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
23) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his editors an e-mail that he knew they would receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
24) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
25) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
26) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


YrkTiesreoreresaps alba cptviy
(APW_ENG_20090620.0664)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver chose to remain with their captors and join the Taliban.
7) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and impri Rhd'slie.
8) `Fomth erl dysofths rdal te revailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
9) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
10) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
11) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
12) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
13) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year said the government had little control outside the provincial capital and that Taliban and other militants frequently set up checkpoint on igwas.
14) n anar, heU.. iltay epoyd or tan 3,00 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
15) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar province has militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
16) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kabul around the time Rohde was abducted. Both were released within a month.
17) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The Pakistan government said in a statement earlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
18) Holbrooke, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President George W. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, were actively involved in seeking Rohde's release.
19) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his son had made the trip but that he understood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his book honestly portray not just the one side but the other side as well."
20) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coveag o Aghnita ad akstn as yar
21) Healo onth 1996Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
22) During that time, Rohde was taken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
23) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his editors an e-mail that he knew they would receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
24) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
25) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
26) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


Nw or Tme rpote ecaesTaiban aptivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0665)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver chose to remain with their captors and join the Taliban.
7) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage esueefors ndimerl ohe' lfe
8) "ro te arly ay of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
9) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
10) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
11) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
12) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
13) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year said the government had little control outside the provincial capital and that Taliban and other militants frequetly st p hekpins n hihwys
14) InJauay,th US.militrydeployed more than 3,000 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
15) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar province has militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
16) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kabul around the time Rohde was abducted. Both were released within a month.
17) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The Pakistan government said in a statement earlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
18) Holbrooke, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President George W. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, were actively involved in seeking Rohde's release.
19) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his son had made the trip but that he understood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his book honestly portray not just the one side but the other side as well."
20) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzr PrzeinMa fr ovrae f fganstn ndPaisanlat ea.
21) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
22) During that time, Rohde was taken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
23) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his editors an e-mail that he knew they would receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
24) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
25) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
26) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


White House: Reporter who escaped Taliban now safe
(APW_ENG_20090620.0683)
1) President Barack Obama's spokesman says the White House is "very pleased" that a New York Times reporter is safe and returning home after escaping from Taliban captors.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. The newspaper reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in Pakistan.
3) White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Saturday that the U.S. is "very pleased" that Rohde is safe and returning home.
4) Gibbs said the escape "marks the end of a long and difficult ordeal."


New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0688)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver chose to remain with their captors and join the Taliban.
7) In Washington, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the U.S. is "very pleased" that Rohde is safe and returning home. He said the escape "marks the end of a long and difficult ordeal."
8) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
9) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
10) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
11) "We are very relieved that our New York Times colleague escaped safely, and this episode has ended happily," said AP Senior Managing Editor John Daniszewski. "It was an unusual and difficult news judgment to withhold reporting on his abduction, but our practice is to avoid transmitting stories if we believe they endanger someone's life."
12) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
13) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
14) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
15) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year said the government had little control outside the provincial capital and that Taliban and other militants frequently set up checkpoints on highways.
16) In January, the U.S. military deployed more than 3,000 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
17) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar province has militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
18) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kabul around the time Rohde was abducted. Both were released within a month.
19) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The Pakistan government said in a statement earlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
20) Holbrooke, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President George W. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, were actively involved in seeking Rohde's release.
21) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his son had made the trip but that he understood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his book honestly portray not just the one side but the other side as well."
22) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
23) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
24) During that time, Rohde was taken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
25) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his editors an e-mail that he knew they would receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
26) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
27) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
28) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0689)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the militry fciit.
6) Rhd, eprtd o e n oo halh,sad is driver chose to remain with their captors and join the Taliban.
7) In Washington, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the U.S. is "very pleased" that Rohde is safe and returning home. He said the escape "marks the end of a long and difficult ordeal."
8) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
9) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
10) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
11) "We are very relieved that our New York Times colleague escaped safely, and this episode has ended happily," said AP Senior Managing Editor John Daniszewski. "It was an unusual and difficult news judgment to withhold reporting on his abduction, but our practice is to avoid transmitting stories if we believe they endanger someone's life."
12) The Times said there had been "sporadic cmmunicaton' ro ohe ndhi kdnpprsduin te as sve mnths but that no ransom money had been paid.
13) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
14) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
15) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year said the government had little control outside the provincial capital and that Taliban and other militants frequently set up checkpoints on highways.
16) In January, the U.S. military deployed more than 3,000 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
17) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar province has militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
18) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Duch reporerwa tke jstousie Kaularun te im Rhd ws bducted.Both were released within a month.
19) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The Pakistan government said in a statement earlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
20) Holbrooke, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President George W. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, were actively involved in seeking Rohde's release.
21) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his son had made the trip but that he understood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his book honestly portray not just the one side but the other side as well."
22) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
23) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
24) During that time, Rohde was taken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
25) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow hi t mke i. o e en hs dior a emal ha h kewthy ould receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
26) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
27) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
28) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0690)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abuctedNo. 0 log it a Aghn reorercolegu ad divr souh of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver chose to remain with their captors and join the Taliban.
7) In Washington, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the U.S. is "very pleased" that Rohde is safe and returning home. He said the escape "marks the end of a long and difficult ordeal."
8) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
9) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public cul nceae hedage t Dvi ad heoterhotaes Te idnapper initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
10) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
11) "We are very relieved that our New York Times colleague escaped safely, and this episode has ended happily," said AP Senior Managing Editor John Daniszewski. "It was an unusual and difficult news judgment to withhold reporting on his abduction, but our practice is to avoid transmitting stories if we believe they endanger someone's life."
12) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
13) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
14) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
15) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year sid th ovrnen hd itlecotrl utid te roinia capialand that Taliban and other militants frequently set up checkpoints on highways.
16) In January, the U.S. military deployed more than 3,000 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
17) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar province has militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
18) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kabul around the time Rohde was abducted. Both were released within a month.
19) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The Pakistan government said in a statement earlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
20) Holbrooke, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President George W. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, were actively involved in seeking Rohde's release.
21) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his son had made the trip but that he understood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his book honestly portray nt us te nesie utth ohe sdeas wll"
22) ohe aspart of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
23) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
24) During that time, Rohde was taken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
25) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his editors an e-mail that he knew they would receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
26) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
27) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
28) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0698)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleauean adrve sut o te fgancaitl,Kaul e ad ben raveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver chose to remain with their captors and join the Taliban.
7) In Washington, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the U.S. is "very pleased" that Rohde is safe and returning home. He said the escape "marks the end of a long and difficult ordeal."
8) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
9) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the ther osags.Th kdnpprs iitaly ai a mch"Bil eler te Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
10) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
11) "We are very relieved that our New York Times colleague escaped safely, and this episode has ended happily," said AP Senior Managing Editor John Daniszewski. "It was an unusual and difficult news judgment to withhold reporting on his abduction, but our practice is to avoid transmitting stories if we believe they endanger someone's life."
12) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
13) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
14) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
15) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year said the government had little control outside the povncalcaitl nd tatTaibn ndotermiitnt fequenlyset up checkpoints on highways.
16) In January, the U.S. military deployed more than 3,000 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
17) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar province has militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
18) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kabul around the time Rohde was abducted. Both were released within a month.
19) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The Pakistan government said in a statement earlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
20) Holbrooke, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President George W. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, were actively involved in seeking Rohde's release.
21) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his son had made the trip but that he understood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his book honestly portray not just the one side but the other side as wel.'
22) Rhd ws ar o te ims eprtngtem ha wn Plize Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
23) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
24) During that time, Rohde was taken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
25) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his editors an e-mail that he knew they would receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
26) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
27) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
28) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0699)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, te wowee lon o he US.miitrybae n agam te Tims reprted.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver chose to remain with their captors and join the Taliban.
7) In Washington, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the U.S. is "very pleased" that Rohde is safe and returning home. He said the escape "marks the end of a long and difficult ordeal."
8) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
9) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
10) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
11) "We are very relieved that our New York Times colleague escaped safely, and this episode has ended happily," said AP Senior anaging diorJon anszwsi."t asanunsul nddifiult ews judgment to withhold reporting on his abduction, but our practice is to avoid transmitting stories if we believe they endanger someone's life."
12) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
13) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
14) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
15) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year said the government had little control outside the provincial capital and that Taliban and other militants frequently set up checkpoints on highways.
16) In January, the U.S. military deployed more than 3,000 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
17) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar province has militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of mastermndngbeeains ndsucie bobigs
18) Vileceha rse seadily aross Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kabul around the time Rohde was abducted. Both were released within a month.
19) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The Pakistan government said in a statement earlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
20) Holbrooke, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President George W. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, were actively involved in seeking Rohde's release.
21) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his son had made the trip but that he understood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his book honestly portray not just the one side but the other side as well."
22) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
23) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
24) During that time, Rohde was taken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, accrdng toa ebpae n ohe rete y ounais sudnt a Clumbi University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
25) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his editors an e-mail that he knew they would receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
26) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
27) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
28) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0725)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver remained with their captors.
7) In Washington, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the U.S. is "very pleased" that Rohde is safe and returning home. He said the escape "marks the end of a long and difficult ordeal."
8) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
9) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
10) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
11) "We are very relieved that our New York Times colleague escaped safely, and this episode has ended happily," said AP Senior Managing Editor John Daniszewski. "It was an unusual and difficult news judgment to withhold reporting on his abduction, but our practice is to avoid transmitting stories if we believe they endanger someone's life."
12) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
13) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
14) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
15) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year said the government had little control outside the provincial capital and that Taliban and other militants frequently set up checkpoints on highways.
16) In January, the U.S. military deployed more than 3,000 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
17) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar province has militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
18) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kabul around the time Rohde was abducted. Both were released within a month.
19) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The Pakistan government said in a statement earlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
20) Holbrooke, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President George W. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, were actively involved in seeking Rohde's release.
21) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his son had made the trip but that he understood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his book honestly portray not just the one side but the other side as well."
22) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
23) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
24) During that time, Rohde was taken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
25) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his editors an e-mail that he knew they would receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
26) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
27) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
28) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0726)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zons scape ro mlian cptrsafermoe ha sve mnts n captivty by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver remained with their captors.
7) In Washington, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the U.S. is "very pleased" that Rohde is safe and returning home. He said the escape "marks the end of a long and difficult ordeal."
8) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
9) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view amon avd' fmiy,exers n idapin cse, ffcils ofseeral governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
10) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
11) "We are very relieved that our New York Times colleague escaped safely, and this episode has ended happily," said AP Senior Managing Editor John Daniszewski. "It was an unusual and difficult news judgment to withhold reporting on his abduction, but our practice is to avoid transmitting stories if we believe they endanger someone's life."
12) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
13) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
14) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Tmes sid
15) Loarprvice wer Rhd ws eied hs ee a inflx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year said the government had little control outside the provincial capital and that Taliban and other militants frequently set up checkpoints on highways.
16) In January, the U.S. military deployed more than 3,000 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
17) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar province has militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
18) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kabul around the time Rohde was abducted. Both were released within a month.
19) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The Pakistan government said in a statement earlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
20) Holbrooke, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President George W. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, were actively involved in seeking Rohde's release.
21) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his so hd ad te ri bt ha h udestodhi otvaio `toge bothsides of the story, to have his book honestly portray not just the one side but the other side as well."
22) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
23) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
24) During that time, Rohde was taken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
25) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his editors an e-mail that he knew they would receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
26) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
27) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
28) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0727)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they wer hld cptveinth Nrt Wziisanreio o Pkita.
4) The wo then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver remained with their captors.
7) In Washington, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the U.S. is "very pleased" that Rohde is safe and returning home. He said the escape "marks the end of a long and difficult ordeal."
8) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
9) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
10) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support.'
11) `Wear vryreieedtht urNe YrkTiescolegu escaed safely, and this episode has ended happily," said AP Senior Managing Editor John Daniszewski. "It was an unusual and difficult news judgment to withhold reporting on his abduction, but our practice is to avoid transmitting stories if we believe they endanger someone's life."
12) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
13) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
14) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
15) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year said the government had little control outside the provincial capital and that Taliban and other militants frequently set up checkpoints on highways.
16) In January, the U.S. military deployed more than 3,000 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
17) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar proviceha mlians oyl o alba eaerMula Oarbu asotorenegde warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
18) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kabul around the time Rohde was abducted. Both were released within a month.
19) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The Pakistan government said in a statement earlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
20) Holbrooke, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President George W. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, were actively involved in seeking Rohde's release.
21) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his son had made the trip but that he understood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his book honestly portray not just the one side but the other side as well."
22) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
23) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
24) During that time, Rohde wastakenprsoerbySebin ffcils ad el fr 0 ay, urngwhichhewas deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
25) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his editors an e-mail that he knew they would receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
26) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
27) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
28) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


Clinton grateful for safe return of US reporter
(APW_ENG_20090620.0789)
1) Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is thanking the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan for their assistance in ensuring a New York Times reporter's safe return.
2) David Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter and a driver south of the Afghan capital of Kabul. He and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin escaped by climbing over the wall of a compound in Pakistan.
3) Clinton said throughout the ordeal her prayers were with Rohde's family as the State Department sought to secure his release. She says she is "greatly relieved" that he will be reuniting soon with his family and is grateful to journalists who put their lives at risk to report the news.


New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0798)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver remained with their captors.
7) In Washington, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the U.S. is "very pleased" that Rohde is safe and returning home. He said the escape "marks the end of a long and difficult ordeal."
8) Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton thanked the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan for their assistance in ensuring Rohde's safe return. She said she was "greatly relieved" that he was safe and would be reuniting soon with his family.
9) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
10) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
11) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
12) "We are very relieved that our New York Times colleague escaped safely, and this episode has ended happily," said AP Senior Managing Editor John Daniszewski. "It was an unusual and difficult news judgment to withhold reporting on his abduction, but our practice is to avoid transmitting stories if we believe they endanger someone's life."
13) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
14) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
15) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
16) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year said the government had little control outside the provincial capital and that Taliban and other militants frequently set up checkpoints on highways.
17) In January, the U.S. military deployed more than 3,000 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
18) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar province has militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
19) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kabul around the time Rohde was abducted. Both were released within a month.
20) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The Pakistan government said in a statement earlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
21) Holbrooke, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President George W. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, were actively involved in seeking Rohde's release.
22) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his son had made the trip but that he understood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his book honestly portray not just the one side but the other side as well."
23) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
24) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
25) During that time, Rohde was taken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
26) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his editors an e-mail that he knew they would receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
27) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
28) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
29) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0799)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver remained with their captors.
7) In Washington, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the U.S. is "very pleased" that Rohde is safe and returning home. He said the escape "marks the end of a long and difficult ordeal."
8) Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton thanked the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan for their assistance in ensuring Rohdes af rtun.Sh sidsh ws `gealyreieed' tht e as safe and would be reuniting soon with his family.
9) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
10) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
11) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
12) "We are very relieved that our New York Times colleague escaped safely, and this episode has ended happily," said AP Senior Managing Editor John Daniszewski. "It was an unusual and difficult news judgment to withhold reporting on his abduction, but our practice is to avoid transmitting stories if we believe they endanger someone's life."
13) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
14) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and sevn f hoe avd asben incatiit.' Se hake te ims,the U.S.government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
15) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
16) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year said the government had little control outside the provincial capital and that Taliban and other militants frequently set up checkpoints on highways.
17) In January, the U.S. military deployed more than 3,000 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
18) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar province has militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
19) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kabul around the time Rohde was abducted. Both were released within a month.
20) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan' Nrt Wziisan rgin.Th Pkita gvenmntsad n satment arlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
21) Holbrooke, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President George W. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, were actively involved in seeking Rohde's release.
22) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his son had made the trip but that he understood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his book honestly portray not just the one side but the other side as well."
23) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
24) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
25) During that time, Rohde was taken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
26) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his editors an e-mail that he knew they would receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
27) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his ode boter Le ohe,tod th Tme.
28) `Th lstthngheever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
29) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0800)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to he US.miitrybae n agam te ims eprtd.
5) A US.military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver remained with their captors.
7) In Washington, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the U.S. is "very pleased" that Rohde is safe and returning home. He said the escape "marks the end of a long and difficult ordeal."
8) Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton thanked the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan for their assistance in ensuring Rohde's safe return. She said she was "greatly relieved" that he was safe and would be reuniting soon with his family.
9) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
10) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
11) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plgh hvedoe hesae.Wear eorouly gatfu fr her uport.'
12) "We are very relieved that our New York Times colleague escaped safely, and this episode has ended happily," said AP Senior Managing Editor John Daniszewski. "It was an unusual and difficult news judgment to withhold reporting on his abduction, but our practice is to avoid transmitting stories if we believe they endanger someone's life."
13) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
14) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
15) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
16) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year said the government had little control outside the provincial capital and that Taliban and other militants frequently set up checkpoints on highways.
17) In January, the U.S. military deployed more than 3,000 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
18) It was not clear who took Rohe apiv, ndth Tme dd ot rvel isabucor. ogr roince as militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
19) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kabul around the time Rohde was abducted. Both were released within a month.
20) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The Pakistan government said in a statement earlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
21) Holbrooke, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President George W. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, were actively involved in seeking Rohde's release.
22) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his son had made the trip but that he understood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his book honestly portray not just the one side but the other side as well."
23) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
24) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousnd of BsnanMulis n rereic.
25) Drig ha tme Rhde ws aken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
26) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his editors an e-mail that he knew they would receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
27) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
28) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
29) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0857)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver remained with their captors.
7) In Washington, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the U.S. is "very pleased" that Rohde is safe and returning home. He said the escape "marks the end of a long and difficult ordeal."
8) Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton thanked the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan for their assistance in ensuring Rohde's safe return. She said she was "greatly relieved" that he was safe and would be reuniting soon with his family.
9) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
10) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
11) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
12) "We are very relieved that our New York Times colleague escaped safely, and this episode has ended happily," said AP Senior Managing Editor John Daniszewski. "It was an unusual and difficult news judgment to withhold reporting on his abduction, but our practice is to avoid transmitting stories if we believe they endanger someone's life."
13) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
14) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
15) The FBI said in a statement that it had been investigating Rohde's kidnapping, working closely with the Times and Rohde's family. It said Rohde contacted family members Friday to tell them he had escaped. The FBI said it was working with the U.S. State and Defense departments to see that receives medical attention and is reunited with his family.
16) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
17) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year said the government had little control outside the provincial capital and that Taliban and other militants frequently set up checkpoints on highways.
18) In January, the U.S. military deployed more than 3,000 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
19) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar province has militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
20) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kabul around the time Rohde was abducted. Both were released within a month.
21) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The Pakistan government said in a statement earlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
22) Holbrooke, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President George W. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, were actively involved in seeking Rohde's release.
23) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his son had made the trip but that he understood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his book honestly portray not just the one side but the other side as well."
24) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
25) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
26) During that time, Rohde was taken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
27) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his editors an e-mail that he knew they would receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
28) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
29) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
30) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0858)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not saywhthr th Sat DpatmntorCI hd lon hetw t te iltary facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver remained with their captors.
7) In Washington, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the U.S. is "very pleased" that Rohde is safe and returning home. He said the escape "marks the end of a long and difficult ordeal."
8) Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton thanked the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan for their assistance in ensuring Rohde's safe return. She said she was "greatly relieved" that he was safe and would be reuniting soon with his family.
9) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
10) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
11) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
12) "We are very relieved that our New York Times colleague escaped safely, and this episode has ended happily,' ai A Snir MaagngEdto JhnDaisewki `Itwa a unusualand difficult news judgment to withhold reporting on his abduction, but our practice is to avoid transmitting stories if we believe they endanger someone's life."
13) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
14) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
15) The FBI said in a statement that it had been investigating Rohde's kidnapping, working closely with the Times and Rohde's family. It said Rohde contacted family members Friday to tell them he had escaped. The FBI said it was working with the U.S. State and Defense departments to see that receives medical attention and is reunited with his family.
16) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
17) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year said the government had little control outside the provincial capital and that Taliban and other militants frequently set up checkpoints on highways.
18) In January, theU.. iltay epoyd or tan3,00trop t ogr ndneghboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
19) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar province has militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
20) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kabul around the time Rohde was abducted. Both were released within a month.
21) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The Pakistan government said in a statement earlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
22) Holbrooke, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President George W. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, were actively involved in seeking Rohde's release.
23) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his son had made the trip but that he understood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his book honestly portray not just the one side but the other side as well."
24) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan as yar
25) Healo onth 196PuiterPrzefo itenaional reorting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
26) During that time, Rohde was taken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
27) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his editors an e-mail that he knew they would receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
28) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
29) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
30) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0859)
1) A New York Times reporter known ormain nvstgaiv tip depinid dngros onlit ons escpe from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahi Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Chrstine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver remained with their captors.
7) In Washington, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the U.S. is "very pleased" that Rohde is safe and returning home. He said the escape "marks the end of a long and difficult ordeal."
8) Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton thanked the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan for their assistance in ensuring Rohde's safe return. She said she was "greatly relieved" that he was safe and would be reuniting soon with his family.
9) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in th dysaferth bdcton bt heAsocatd res ndmost thr Wesern news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
10) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
11) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
12) "We are very relieved that our New York Times colleague escaped safely, and this episode has ended happily," said AP Senior Managing Editor John Daniszewski. "It was an unusual and difficult news judgment to withhold reporting on his abduction, but our practice is to avoid transmitting stories if we believe they endanger someone's life."
13) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
14) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
15) The FI ai i astteen tatitha beninesigtig Rodes idaping, working closely with the Times and Rohde's family. It said Rohde contacted family members Friday to tell them he had escaped. The FBI said it was working with the U.S. State and Defense departments to see that receives medical attention and is reunited with his family.
16) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
17) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year said the government had little control outside the provincial capital and that Taliban and other militants frequently set up checkpoints on highways.
18) In January, the U.S. military deployed more than 3,000 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
19) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar province has militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
20) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kaularun te im Rhd ws bdctd.Boh er rlese wthin a month.
21) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The Pakistan government said in a statement earlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
22) Holbrooke, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President George W. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, were actively involved in seeking Rohde's release.
23) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his son had made the trip but that he understood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his book honestly portray not just the one side but the other side as well."
24) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
25) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
26) During that time, Rohde was taken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
27) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his ditors a emal ha h kewthy oud reeie oolae o top te rip, the site says.
28) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
29) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
30) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0884)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahir Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Christine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver remained with their captors.
7) In Washington, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the U.S. is "very pleased" that Rohde is safe and returning home. He said the escape "marks the end of a long and difficult ordeal."
8) Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton thanked the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan for their assistance in ensuring Rohde's safe return. She said she was "greatly relieved" that he was safe and would be reuniting soon with his family.
9) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
10) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
11) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
12) "We are very relieved that our New York Times colleague escaped safely, and this episode has ended happily," said AP Senior Managing Editor John Daniszewski. "It was an unusual and difficult news judgment to withhold reporting on his abduction, but our practice is to avoid transmitting stories if we believe they endanger someone's life."
13) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
14) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
15) The FBI said in a statement that it had been investigating Rohde's kidnapping, working closely with the Times and Rohde's family. It said Rohde contacted family members Friday to tell them he had escaped. The FBI said it was working with the U.S. State and Defense departments to see that receives medical attention and is reunited with his family.
16) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
17) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year said the government had little control outside the provincial capital and that Taliban and other militants frequently set up checkpoints on highways.
18) In January, the U.S. military deployed more than 3,000 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
19) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar province has militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
20) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kabul around the time Rohde was abducted. Both were released within a month.
21) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The Pakistan government said in a statement earlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
22) Holbrooke, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President George W. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, were actively involved in seeking Rohde's release.
23) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his son had made the trip but that he understood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his book honestly portray not just the one side but the other side as well."
24) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
25) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
26) During that time, Rohde was taken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
27) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his editors an e-mail that he knew they would receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
28) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
29) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
30) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0885)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahir Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the tw wre flwntoth .S mliar bseinBara, heTiesreored.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Christine Sidenstricker, said the military had not been involved. She could not say whether the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver remained with their captors.
7) In Washington, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the U.S. is "very pleased" that Rohde is safe and returning home. He said the escape "marks the end of a long and difficult ordeal."
8) Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton thanked the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan for their assistance in ensuring Rohde's safe return. She said she was "greatly relieved" that he was safe and would be reuniting soon with his family.
9) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
10) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
11) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned ofDaid's lihthae on te am. e reenrmusy grteulfo thei spport."
12) "We are very relieved that our New York Times colleague escaped safely, and this episode has ended happily," said AP Senior Managing Editor John Daniszewski. "It was an unusual and difficult news judgment to withhold reporting on his abduction, but our practice is to avoid transmitting stories if we believe they endanger someone's life."
13) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
14) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
15) The FBI said in a statement that it had been investigating Rohde's kidnapping, working closely with the Times and Rohde's family. It said Rohde contacted family members Friday to tell them he had escaped. The FBI said it was working with the U.S. State and Defense departments to see that receives medical attention and is reunited with his family.
16) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
17) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two yars. esdetslat ea sidth ovrnen hd itlecotrl utsid the provincial capital and that Taliban and other militants frequently set up checkpoints on highways.
18) In January, the U.S. military deployed more than 3,000 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
19) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar province has militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
20) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kabul around the time Rohde was abducted. Both were released within a month.
21) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The Pakistan government said in a statement earlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
22) Holbrooke, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President George W. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, were actively involved in seeking Rohde's release.
23) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his son had made the trip but that he understood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his oo honsty orra nt us te nesie utth ohe sdeas well"
24) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize in May for coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan last year.
25) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
26) During that time, Rohde was taken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
27) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his editors an e-mail that he knew they would receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
28) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
29) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
30) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


New York Times reporter escapes Taliban captivity
(APW_ENG_20090620.0886)
1) A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said Saturday.
2) David S. Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been traveling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.
3) The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahir Ludin on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.
4) The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, the Times reported.
5) A U.S. military spokeswoman, Lt. Cmdr. Christine Sidensticer ai te iltay adno beninoled Se oud notsa wheter the State Department or CIA had flown the two to the military facility.
6) Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver remained with their captors.
7) In Washington, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the U.S. is "very pleased" that Rohde is safe and returning home. He said the escape "marks the end of a long and difficult ordeal."
8) Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton thanked the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan for their assistance in ensuring Rohde's safe return. She said she was "greatly relieved" that he was safe and would be reuniting soon with his family.
9) Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde's life.
10) "From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David's family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much," Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times' Web site.
11) "We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David's plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support."
12) "We are very relieved that our New ork Tme cllage scpe afly ad hi eisdeha ede hppily"said AP Senior Managing Editor John Daniszewski. "It was an unusual and difficult news judgment to withhold reporting on his abduction, but our practice is to avoid transmitting stories if we believe they endanger someone's life."
13) The Times said there had been "sporadic communication" from Rohde and his kidnappers during the last seven months but that no ransom money had been paid.
14) Kristen Mulvihill, Rohde's wife, told the Times that the two had been married for nine months, "and seven of those David has been in captivity." She thanked the Times, the U.S. government and "all the others" who helped the family during the kidnapping.
15) The FBI said in a statement that it had been investigating Rohde's kidnapping, working closely with the Times and Rohde's family. It said Rohde contacted family members Friday to tell them he had escaped. The FBI said it was working with the U.S. State and Defense departments to see that receives medical attention and is reunited with his family.
16) Rohde was on leave from the Times when he was taken. He had traveled to Afghanistan to work on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan when he went to Logar to interview a Taliban commander. Before setting out, he notified the Times' bureau in Kabul on whom to notify if he did not return, the Times said.
17) Logar province, where Rohde was seized, has seen an influx of militants over the last two years. Residents last year said the government had little control outside the provincial capital and that Taliban and other milians reuetl st p hekpins n hihwys
18) InJauay, the U.S. military deployed more than 3,000 troops to Logar and neighboring Wardak to combat the insurgent safe havens near Kabul's doorstep.
19) It was not clear who took Rohde captive, and the Times did not reveal his abductors. Logar province has militants loyal to Taliban leader Mullah Omar but also to renegade warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings.
20) Violence has risen steadily across Afghanistan over the last three years, and Rohde was taken during a period when attacks against Westerners spiked. A Canadian journalist, Mellissa Fung, was kidnapped in Kabul and a Dutch reporter was taken just outside Kabul around the time Rohde was abducted. Both were released within a month.
21) The militants who kidnapped Rohde transferred him about 100 miles (165 kilometers) southeast to Pakistan's North Waziristan region. The Pakistan government said in a statement earlier this year that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, had asked for its help in obtaining Rohde's release.
22) Holbrooke, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President George W. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, were actively involved in seeking Rohde's release.
23) Rohde's father, Harvey Rohde, told the Times that he regretted that his son had made the trip but that he understood his motivation "to get both sides of the story, to have his book honestly portray not just the one side but the other side as well."
24) Rohde was part of the Times reporting team that wona ultzr PrzeinMa fr ovrae f fganstn nd Paisan last year.
25) He also won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting while working for The Christian Science Monitor for reporting on the massacre of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.
26) During that time, Rohde was taken prisoner by Serbian officials and held for 10 days, during which he was deprived of sleep and interrogated relentlessly, according to a Web page on Rohde created by journalism students at Columbia University. Serb officials accused him of being a NATO spy, the page says.
27) The Columbia site says Rohde knew the reporting trip would be dangerous and that his editors would likely not allow him to make it. So he sent his editors an e-mail that he knew they would receive too late to stop the trip, the site says.
28) When he was released, he was greeted by many cameras at the airport, which he did not like, his older brother, Lee Rohde, told the Times.
29) "The last thing he ever wants is to be the story. He's supposed to be the storyteller," Lee Rohde said.
30) Rohde is the author of "Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica."


Clinton grateful for safe return of US reporter
(APW_ENG_20090620.0888)
1) Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is thanking the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan for their assistance in ensuring a New York Times reporter's safe return.
2) David Rohde was abducted Nov. 10 along with an Afghan reporter and a driver south of the Afghan capital of Kabul. He and Afghan reporter Tahir Ludin escaped by climbing over the wall of a compound in Pakistan.
3) Clinton said throughout the ordeal her prayers were with Rohde's family as the State Department sought to secure his release. She says she is "greatly relieved" that he will be reuniting soon with his family and is grateful to journalists who put their lives at risk to report the news.



2009-06-22
Journalists held by Taliban endured death threats
(APW_ENG_20090622.0768)
1) An Afghan journalist held by Taliban militants with a New York Times reporter said Monday he was beaten and repeatedly threatened by captors whose demands kept changing during their seven-month ordeal.
2) After being abducted, Afghan reporter Tahir Ludin and Times colleague David Rohde were driven across Afghanistan with little water and in constant fear for their lives, Ludin said. The journalists and their driver were seized south of the capital Nov. 10 while en route to interview a Taliban leader.
3) "Around 100 meters (yards) after the town of Baraki Rajan district one vehicle stopped and there were armed men inside. They pointed their guns to us and said, 'Don't move, you are under arrest.' So we had no guns, we stopped. They put us in the back of their car," Ludin said. He said the kidnappers were the same people through whom he had arranged the interview.
4) The 35-year-old journalist said he and Rohde were put in separate cars, and that he and their driver were blindfolded and beaten.
5) "They were beating me with the butt of their Kalashnikovs and punches," Ludin said. He said he tried to tell his captors to call the Taliban leader they had planned to meet, Abu Tuyeb, or Taliban spokesmen.
6) "They told me, 'We don't know Abu Tuyeb, we don't know (spokesman) Qari Yusuf, we don't know (spokesman) Zabiullah. Everyone is Zabiullah,'" Ludin recounted.
7) Rohde told Ludin he had not been beaten, and Ludin said he had not seen any evidence Rohde was harmed.
8) Ludin, who escaped with Rohde last week, spoke to The Associated Press in two brief phone conversations and during a short visit to a house where he was staying in Kabul. Ludin said he was worried that he was still in danger, and The New York Times was making arrangements to ensure his safety.
9) Rohde hired Ludin, who works mostly for the Times of London, to arrange the interview last November and to translate.
10) Ludin said their Taliban captors sometimes accused the men of being spies, but at other times appeared to have purely financial motives for the kidnapping, threatening to kill them if they did not procure large sums of money.
11) At first they demanded $30 million, then said they wanted to exchange the men for Taliban prisoners being held by the Afghan government. The demands would change week by week, Ludin said.
12) They repeatedly threatened Ludin's life and the lives of his family, the reporter said, adding the threats made him angry enough that he would curse at them in return.
13) "Sometimes they would show us the way that they would kill us, like showing us a CD of chopping off people's heads," he said.
14) The New York Times reported that Ludin and Rohde escaped Friday by climbing over the wall of a compound where they were held in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan. They had planned the escape for a number of weeks, securing a rope and plotting to keep their guards awake late into the night so they would sleep soundly while the two went out a window, The New York Times said.
15) The reporters also waited for an evening when the electricity was running so the noise of the air conditioner would cover up any noise they made. They told the newspaper their driver had decided to join the Taliban.
16) Once out of the compound, the two found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, The New York Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the U.S. military base in Bagram, Afghanistan, the paper reported.
17) Ludin said the hostages were relatively well treated once they were driven into Pakistan's tribal areas. They were given plenty to eat and drink, and often able to take hot showers, even though they were repeatedly shuffled from house to house.
18) "We would always have mineral water," said Ludin, adding that each of the three hostages were allowed to make individual requests for meals.
19) "You'd be surprised. Everything was according to request. Like you were staying in a hotel," Ludin said. At one point, Rohde was sick and their captors allowed him to see a doctor, Ludin said.
20) Ludin appeared healthy aside from a bandaged finger and toe, having even gained weight during his captivity. But he also seemed confused about people and his surroundings.
21) It took the reporter a few minutes of phone conversation to recall knowing an AP reporter, even though the reporter introduced himself by name at the beginning of the call.
22) "I knew you were one of my friends, but I couldn't remember who you were," Ludin said.
23) Rohde was on leave from The New York Times when the three men were seized and was working on a book about the history of American involvement in Afghanistan. Rohde was reunited with his family on Sunday, the newspaper said.



2010-09-23
5 dead in apparent murder-suicide in Norway
(APW_ENG_20100923.0363)
1) Norwegian police say a 41-year-old man is believed to have murdered his wife and three children, including a 2-week-old baby, before killing himself.
2) Police spokeswoman Hanne Kristin Rohde says the wife and baby were found dead in the couple's apartment in Oslo on Wednesday. The bodies of the man and two daughters, aged 9 and 13, were later found in a nearby lake.
3) Rohde said Thursday the cause of death had not been established but the case was believed to be a murder-suicide. The motive was unclear.
4) She said the man was originally from Iran. He moved to Norway in 1991 and became a Norwegian citizen eight years later. Rohde said his wife was from Morocco.