NPR Photographer killed in Afghanistan

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g-man
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NPR Photographer killed in Afghanistan

Post by g-man »

A storied photographer who was embedded during the roll into Iraq, and has been a combat journalist for decades was killed while traveling with an Afghan Army unit near Marjah. As an Army guy who takes a lot of pictures, I had seen and appreciated Gilkey's work a long time ago.

Article concerning the attack:
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/ ... fghanistan

Video interview with him and NPR's military correspondent only a few weeks ago:
https://www.facebook.com/NPR/videos/10154418968386756/

Not that his death is 'worse' than losing any PV2 in country, but given the scope and breadth of his work, his impact will be truly missed.
Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum
Old Grafton
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Re: NPR Photographer killed in Afghanistan

Post by Old Grafton »

Doing that kind of work is like riding a public bus in South/Central America or a train in India/Pakistan. You're just a heartbeat away from disaster. Damn sorry to see his ticket got punched. May th Lord bless and keep him.
I'm not old--It's too early to be this late.
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D5CAV
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Re: NPR Photographer killed in Afghanistan

Post by D5CAV »

Years ago, I had some training at Ft. Leavenworth. I was browsing some of the old volumes in the library there and came across a British Army manual on scout operations in Afghanistan from the 1920s.

I couldn't help to be struck by how much it was "Same s##t, different day."

We've had troops in Afghanistan since 2001 - that's 15 years. If you count the "Charlie Wilson's War", we've been messing around there since the 1980s, when we were supplying some CIA-backed assets who were in active insurgency against the Russians, including that very helpful Saudi citizen named Osama Bin Laden.

The Russians were also there for about 15 years - from Jimmy Carter's presidency until the collapse of the Berlin wall.

Why were the Russians there? Oh yeah. It was because the civilian government in Afghanistan was failing (again), and the Russians were concerned that Muslim insurgency would spread to the various "stans" and other places in Russia where there were significant Muslim populations (such as the Chechens).

Fortunately for the US, there wasn't much of a Muslim population to create much of a problem, which begs the question why we are there.

Good for us that BHO is solving that problem by importing lots of Muslims. That gives us more of a reason to control Afghanistan so they can't export Muslim unrest to the US Muslim populations.
None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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mekender
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Re: NPR Photographer killed in Afghanistan

Post by mekender »

The really good ones that embed get incredible amounts of respect from the guys they are around... I am sorry to hear about this man, he seems like he was one of the good ones. At least it was at the end of an RPG instead of at the end of a sword after months of being captive.
“I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party. The Democrat Party has adopted our platform.” - Norman Thomas, a six time candidate for president for the Socialist Party, 1944
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g-man
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Re: NPR Photographer killed in Afghanistan

Post by g-man »

ABC's John Hendren came out with us for a while during my time in Iraq, and was definitely on the same end of the 'embedded reporter' spectrum as this photog (hint: it's the opposite end from where Geraldo sits). He, his crew, and his producer all rode out with us on a day-long patrol in town, and generally struck me as the 'here to tell the story, whatever that is' types. Having had embedded media along for the ride, I understand that there is some increased risk on both sides (since you've got instant media coverage), but that risk is generally worth it. Like I said earlier, I've been a fan of Gilkey's work for quite some time, and given the perspective, I agree it's better than going out at the end of a sword after extended captivity.
Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum
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Windy Wilson
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Re: NPR Photographer killed in Afghanistan

Post by Windy Wilson »

Well, what an unremitting bummer.
When I saw "NPR" I thought he would have bought it in a way similar to Bill Mauldin's cartoon of a soldier standing outside a foxhole at night smoking a cigarette, telling Willie (or Joe), "It's alright, I'm a non-combatant."
But someone who actually supported the troops and went where they went and reported straight and true, that's like losing Ernie Pyle.
The use of the word "but" usually indicates that everything preceding it in a sentence is a lie.
E.g.:
"I believe in Freedom of Speech, but". . .
"I support the Second Amendment, but". . .
--Randy
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