Reporter Jere Van Dyk discussed his many years of experience reporting in Afghanistan, and told the story of being ambushed and kidnapped by the Taliban in the tribal areas of Pakistan, where no Westerner had ventured for years.
In Captive: My Time as a Prisoner of the Taliban he tells the gripping story of his 45 days in a Taliban prison.
Guests:
Jere Van Dyk
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Comments [12]
One of the best books I have ever read was 'Captive' by Jere Van Dyk.. I am the author of Muslim Mafia and the 1st U.S. federal agent to go into iraq (2003). Mr. Van Dyk provided valuable insight into the mindset of the Taliban and their supporters.
Leonard, perhaps you could not have anticipated this, and it does not diminish the ethereal glow in which you are beheld... but this was the most painful, eye-crossingly dull (to quote Michiko Katukani) interview I've heard. This fellow is self-indugent and boring to an extent that should not be chronicled for posterity. I may have violated your mandate to be civil, but the gentleman's account was egregiously pompous and boring.
And echoing some of the previous comments, he has his creator to thank for his safe release from captivity...
In the end, my only real criticism was for Leonard for not extending any of our comments to his guest.
I think Brian might have mentioned one of these comments.
Hey, Leonard, what's the story?
@ John from office - Clearly journalists who have spent years in Afghanistan, even spanning the time before the Soviet invasion, who completely understands the Pashtun culture and a bit of the language, yes, those egotistical journalists are worthless and arrogant.
Certainly there are many soldiers in Afghanistan that have tremendous stories, but there are virtually none - zero, nil - that have deep understanding like Van Dyk. Hell, some of the soldiers fighting now weren't even born in '89 when the Soviets retreated. Too bad we didn't have more experts like him on the ground in the CIA, military, State Dept., otherwise we might not have allowed Bin Laden the easy resting place in Afghanistan.
... when is he going to come to the realization that he was just really damn lucky!
Not because he looked the bad guys in the eye!
Enough with the "tough" guy stuff...
zzz.
Tickets? For HIM?
Hey, Leonard, not one comment on your guest has YET been positive. Please, relay this to him over air. Thanks.
What kind of weird egocentric thrill seeker is this guy?
Lied to you about what?!
Again, len is highlighting a journalistic tourist, and not the soldiers who actually fight and die for a just cause. Not, a "reporter" seeking a story and journalistic glory. How arrogant this man sounds.
What about Robert Young Pelton?
Another Afghan expert who said the Afghans were shocked when the U.S.A. just abandoned them wholly after they felt their role in Afghanistan was over...no help with food or water...just Hillary crap about women's rights.
Not to indict, but, a friend of mine went to Afghanistan back in the 1960's or maybe the 1950's. He told of HASHISH sold freely on the streets like fruits and vegetables. That was his motive, I believe, then. An adventure, yes, but, let's be honest.
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