Pakistani news presenter accused of link to Taliban hostage's murder

[Robb]

Source: Guardian (UK)

(snip)

The tape purports to be a recording of a phone conversation between the journalist, Hamid Mir, and a Taliban spokesman about the fate of Khalid Khawaja, a former intelligence agent being held by the Taliban.

In the tape Mir describes Khawaja as a CIA collaborator, questions his Islamic credentials, and accuses him of playing a treacherous role in the 2007 Red Mosque siege in which more than 100 people, including the chief cleric, were killed. When the abductor asks the journalist whether Khawaja should be released, he urges him to further interrogate him.

Last month Khawaja's bullet-pocked body was found on a roadside in Waziristan with a warning note to other "American spies".

(snip)

The Taliban added to the controversy by issuing a statement that denied the tape was real but, confusingly, threatened the state telephone company for having taped the conversation.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/17/pakistan-taliban-hostage-murder-tape

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As I've said before about the whole Khawaja saga, you couldn't write this story as fiction, your editor would tell you it was unrealistic. And it just got weirder.

Some background:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4376438

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4362722