BLOODY WASTE; Fury grows over kidnap raid.Byline: BOB ROBERTS GORDON Brown was facing mounting anger last night over the raid to free a kidnapped journalist in Afghanistan. The decision for the special forces assault, which left one British soldier, an Afghan journalist and two civilians dead on Wednesday, was given the go-ahead in Whitehall. But hostage negotiators said they were astonished at the decision to use force. In Afghanistan there had been reports that a deal was being negotiated and the pair were expected to be freed within days. And a journalists' group said they held international forces responsible for the deaths for launching a military operation without exhausting other channels. The group said it was "inhumane in·hu·mane adj. Lacking pity or compassion. in  hu·mane ly adv. " for British forces to
rescue journalist Stephen Farrell John Stephen Farrell (known as Stephen Farrell) is a British journalist who has been the Middle East correspondent for The Times. In July 2007, he joined The New York Times as a correspondent in Baghdad[1]. and retrieve the body of the British
soldier while leaving the Afghan bodies.
TV producer Fazul Rahim said: "It shows a double standard between a foreign life and an Afghan life." The Prime Minister's spokesman said the decision to launch the rescue was by Foreign Secretary Bob Ainsworth Robert William 'Bob' Ainsworth (b. 19 June 1952) is the British Member of Parliament for Coventry North East. He is a member of the Labour Party. He is a the Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence. and Foreign Secretary David Miliband. He said the Prime Minister had been "consulted". A senior Downing Street Downing Street, Westminster, London, England. On the street are the British Foreign Office and, at No. 10, the residence of the first lord of the Treasury, who is usually (although not necessarily) the prime minister of Great Britain. source said: "The judgment was that this presented the best opportunity to protect lives." There were fears that Mr Farrell could have been moved across the border to Pakistan and handed over to al-Qaeda. Asked if the Prime Minister regretted the decision, Downing Street said: "The regret is that there was any loss of life at all." PRINCE Edward visited British troops in Afghanistan's Helmand Province on Tuesday, and in Bahrain yesterday. Voice of the Mirror: Page 8 CAPTION(S): RESCUED Farrell |
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