Jere Van Dyk

This is chilling... I had not heard his story before:

From Publishers Weekly

An American journalist exploring the war zone on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border reports unwanted lessons in its perils in this harrowing memoir. Having traveled with the freedom fighters in the '80s, Van Dyk thought he had the connections and knowledge to navigate the tribal lands between Pakistan and Afghanistan, but he was captured by a fractious band of Taliban fighters in 2008. Van Dyk (In Afghanistan: An American Odyssey) and his Afghan guides spent 44 days in a dark cell. Well-fed but terrified, he felt a nightmare of helplessness and disorientation. Dependent on a jailer who mixed solicitude with jocular death threats and a ruthless Taliban commander who could free or kill him on a whim, the author performed Muslim prayers in an attempt to appease his captors; wary of murky conspiracies involving his cellmates, he was afraid of everybody, including the children. Van Dyk's claustrophobic narrative jettisons journalistic detachment and views his ordeal through the distorting emotions of fear, shame, and self-pity. But in telling his story this way, he brings us viscerally into the mental universe of the Taliban, where paranoia and fanaticism reign, and survival requires currying favor with powerful men. The result is a gripping tale of endurance and a vivid evocation of Afghanistan's grim realities. 1 map. (June 22)

He appeared on The Daily Show last night:

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Jere Van Dyk
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The gun markets of Pakistan (CNN/VICE)

CNN.com has posted a fascinating report from an independent media company about "Darra Adamkhel, the massive open-air market located deep in the tribal areas, where a frighteningly high percentage of Islamic holy warriors goes to buy their guns." The article and video are available here.

The Big Picture - Conflict in Pakistan

More from The Boston Globe's Big Picture, incredible images from the conflict in Pakistan.

A Reporter's Tale of Ambush And Captivity

New York Times reporter, David Rohde gave a thirty-eight minute interview today to NPR's Fresh Air host, Teri Gross. Teri Gross is a skilled interviewer and it was really interesting to hear David Rohde talk about his kidnapping and captivity. You can hear the full audio interview here.

Held by the Taliban: 7 Months, 10 Days in Captivity

David Rohde, a New York Times reporter who was held 7 months in captivity by the Taliban in Pakistan, is finally giving a detailed account of the events surrounding his kidnapping, months in captivity and final escape. This is the first installment of a five-part series. The second installment, "Inside the Islamic Emirate," will appear in the Monday NYT's print edition.

The articles are based on Mr. Rohde's recollections and, where possible, records kept by his family and colleagues.

Generation Islam

CNN's Christiane Amanpour presents another terrific investigative special this week, premiering Aug 13 on Domestic and August 14th on International. She traveled to several war-torn countries to find out what the future promises to be like for the next generation of Muslims -- raised turning such turbulent times, are they destined to become enemies of the West or will they be the ones who transcend the differences between cultures and forge a better future for generations to come?

“In my travels through Gaza and Afghanistan, again and again I found people more interested in a future than a fight. Parents who want the best for their children and children who know there has to be something better,” says Amanpour. “And their allegiance will be to whoever helps them get there.”

CNN also has a web page up with links to all the different components of the program and links to the different organizations that are working to better conditions in Gaza, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. It is a terrific resource for anyone looking to learn more about the regions and the issues.

Life, Death and the Taliban

Charles M. Sennott is the Executive Editor and the Vice President of GlobalPost an online international news service. He is an an award winning journalist and author with a distinguished career in international reporting for both print and broadcast news organizations.

A longtime foreign correspondent for The Boston Globe, Sennott served as the Globe's Middle East Bureau Chief based in Jerusalem from 1997 to 2001 and the Europe Chief based in London from 2001 to 2005.

He recently returned to Afghanistan and Pakistan where he revisited the people and places he got to know through his reporting. While in the region, he spoke with high-level Taliban officials and visited a refugee camp and a girls' school His reporting is part of a special multimedia project for the GlobalPost entitled "Life, Death and the Taliban."

He appeared on NPR's Fresh Air to talk about his recent trip to Afghanistan, his extensive GlobalPost report on the Taliban and the value of international reporting from the ground. You can listen to his interview here.

CNN special Witness to War

Witness to War' airs on CNN International on Thursday, July 30, 8am and 11am, Saturday, Aug 1 3am and 1pm, Sunday, Aug 2 10am and 10pm (all ET).

'Witness to War' sees a team of six CNN correspondents (Atia Abawi, Stan Grant, Nic Robertson, Reza Sayah, Michael Ware and Ivan Watson) provide an unique, first-hand account of the horrors of conflict - from civil war, to the war on terror and the recent offensive in the Swat valley - in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The unparalleled one-hour documentary allows them to draw on their years of experience living and working in the region, as they answer several critical questions, including: What effect does the ever-present violence have on people's psyches? What danger does the constant conflict pose to the world? And, how difficult is it to report from a region where journalists are often targets?

They also investigate the human cost of conflict, discussing the stories they covered and the people they met that most profoundly affected them. They look at the reality of life in refugee camps, examine how children are impacted by the instability, and perhaps most importantly, discuss whether there’s any hope for the future.

More about this new CNN documentary and correspondents' interviews here.

No word yet as to whether it might air on CNN Domestic, but it might not hurt to send an email via the Contact Us page to ask for it!

** Update - August 4 **

CNN/US will air Witness to War on Saturday, August 8, at 8pm ET (1st airing).

More about this special and all the videos.

And the promo:

New York Times reporters

Two incredible articles from and about NYT reporters...

In Tehran, where most foreign journos have been kicked out of the country or have been warned not to leave their hotel rooms, Roger Cohen (who is not a young guy) was out in the streets with the protesters Saturday, running from the Basiji and getting tear gassed:

A Supreme Leader Loses His Aura as Iranians Flock to the Streets

Also, David Rohde -- who was kidnapped by the Taliban seven months ago outside of Kabul, Afghanistan and held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan -- escaped and is now safe. The media kept his abduction secret for the sake of his safety:

New York Times reporter escapes Taliban

Richard Engel's Appearance on The Colbert Report

Richard Engel appeared on The Colbert Report and discussed his move to Pakistan, foreign policy, news coverage, etc.

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Taliban Shift Forces, but Hold Pakistan Valley

Carlotta Gall and Dexter Filkins write about recent events in Pakistan in the April 24th edition of the New York Times.

In other news, Dexter Filkins received another award for his nonfiction book, Forever War, by the Overseas Press Club of America (OPC). CNN's Chief International Correspondent, Christianne Amanpour presented Dexter Filkins with the Cornelius Ryan Award at a dinner on April 22. You can read about all the award winners here.