New York Times – paying off terrorists and endangering hostages

Michael Yon is taking the New York Times to task for this story – about a British couple kidnapped at sea by Somali pirates. The couple was sailing in the Indian Ocean when they were attacked and taken hostage.

Isn’t this news? Yes, but the Times had encouraged a media-wide blackout when two of its reporters – Stephen Farrell and David Rohde – were kidnapped in separate incidents in Afghanistan. One British soldier was killed in the raid to rescue Farrell, who according to some reports, ignored repeated warnings by the British about entering enemy territory.

Making this all the more interesting, Yon is reporting on his Twitter account that the Times paid off the Taliban through the CIA in order to secure Rohde’s release. Here are some of his posts:

-Kept it all quiet for NYT. Now why are the NYT endangering British hostages in Somalia? NYT needs to shut up. They are endangering British.

-I have been told by very close sources that ex-CIA officers helped pay off release for Rohde. I knew this while it was ongoing.

-Numerous very well placed sources have told me New York Times/associates paid millions to get Rohde release.

Rohde was reported to have “escaped” from the Taliban in June. The Times published Rohde’s harrowing tale as a five-part series starting Oct. 17. The series was given front page, centerpiece, above-the-fold treatment every day it was in the paper.

For those not keeping track – we have one count of paying off terrorists, another count of blatant double-standards when it comes to reporters and private citizens, and the audacity (to use a favorite word of our president) to cash in on this psuedo-journalistic daring-do as sales fodder. Given how the Times relationship with the CIA during the Bush administration, it’s no surprise this was leaked, but a big surprise it took this long for this information to come forward. Apparently the CIA enjoys a better relationship with the Times than it did the previous administration.

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