Questions were raised today over the death in Afghanistan of a British paratrooper in a raid to free a kidnapped journalist who reportedly defied security advice not to go into the Taliban-controlled territory.
The soldier died in yesterday's daring pre-dawn operation to rescue New York Timesjournalist Stephen Farrell (46). Mr Farrell's interpreter Sultan Munadi was also killed in the raid.
British prime minister Gordon Brown yesterday hailed the “courage” of the dead soldier.
But the mission has reportedly provoked anger among senior British army officers because Mr Farrell apparently ignored warnings from Afghan police and village elders not to venture into the Taliban-controlled area where he was taken hostage.
Mr Farrell, who holds joint Irish and British citizenship, was taken hostage with Mr Munadi last Saturday as he reported on the aftermath of a Nato air strike in which at least 70 people were killed. They had travelled to the northern province of Kunduz to investigate reports of civilian deaths in the airstrike on two hijacked fuel tankers.
"When you look at the number of warnings this person had it makes you really wonder whether he was worth
rescuing, whether it was worth the cost of a soldier's life," a senior army source told the
Daily Telegraph. "In the future, special forces might think twice in a similar situation."
Robin Horsfall, a former SAS officer, told Channel 4 News: “Some questions will be asked if a journalist has behaved in a reckless fashion and put them in this position. There’s going to be some resentment.”
On the death of the paratrooper, Kelvin MacKenzie, former editor of The Sun, told Sky News: "Was it worth it? No, it was not, in my opinion. When (journalists) defer common sense, they are on their own."
It was the second time Mr Farrell has been kidnapped. He was abducted at gunpoint near Fallujah in Iraq in April 2004 while on assignment for the London Times.
He joined the New York Timesin 2007 as a correspondent in the newspaper's Baghdad bureau.
Bill Keller, executive editor of the New York Timeswrote in the paper: "We feared that media attention would raise the temperature and increase the risk to the captives.
“We’re overjoyed that Steve is free, but deeply saddened that his freedom came at such a cost. We are doing all we can to learn the details of what happened. Our hearts go out to Sultan’s family.”
The number of British troops killed in Afghanistan since the start of operations in 2001 is now 213, including 41 in July and August this year alone.
A group of Afghan journalists have blamed international troops for the death of Mr Munadi during the rescue operation.
In a statement issued today, the Media Club of Afghanistan also criticises Nato commandos for leaving his body behind while they rescued Mr Farrell. They condemn the Taliban for abducting both men last week in northern Afghanistan. The reporters blamed international forces for launching a military operation without exhausting other channels.
Local journalists laid flowers at the grave of Mr Munadi today in Kabul.