Of anecdotes and other things

[mandragora]

I've been reading John Simpson's autobiography recently. He's the BBC's World Affairs Editor and has made a career out of reporting from the world's most dangerous places. For example, he was one of the first reporters into Afghanistan following the fall of the Taliban, having managed to get across the border by dressing as a woman.

The book is making for fascinating reading, with some incredible - and disturbing - anecdotes.

In 1989, Simpson was in Afghanistan, reporting on the Soviet withdrawal. At that time the various mujaheddin organisations were quite united and various groups worked together. Simpson went to interview some mujaheddin who were bombing Jalallabad. He was talking to one group that was made up of the moderate (relatively speaking) Jamiat-e-Islami and the 'fiercely fundamentalist' Hezbe-e-Islami.

Whilst they were filming a figure who was dressed in white appeared, in spotless robes, with a long, impressive beard, who was perhaps in his mid-twenties. He was clearly an Arab, unlike the Afghans around him. He jumped up on a wall beside Simpson and 'started haranguing the mujaheddin'. The translator said that he wanted the mujaheddin to kill Simpson, the cameraman, sound recordist and producer.

Luckily for Simpson, the moderate mujaheddin outnumbered the fundamentalists, quite literally, as they all listened carefully and voted along party lines, with the moderates voting to spare the BBC team. The Arab could have used his AK-47 on them, but they were now protected by the moderates, who with typical Muslim hospitality had decided that the news team were their guests.

But the Arab didn't give up. Simpson was busy recording when he became aware of shouting a little farther off. The Arab was yelling at the driver of an ammunitions truck, offering him $500 to run over the infidels. Simpson's reaction to this was annoyance - he felt insulted by the paucity of the price offered. It wasn't enough for the driver, who laughed and shook his head, then drove off.

At this the Arab ran off towards one of the archways under the road where the mujaheddin slept and the news-team followed him there out of curiosity. They found him lying on a camp-bed, crying and hitting the pillow in frustration at not being able to kill the BBC news team. Simpson reports that he - almost - felt sorry for the Arab and they moved on.

The name of the Arab is Osama bin Laden.

I am very upset about the news of the Columbia. Unfortunately, it's not the only tragedy of the past few days, and others have resulted in more deaths, the Sydney rail-crash, for one. That upset me as well, but, unfortunately, rail-crashes are not uncommon. Nor are people dying in war, of famine, or disease. Everyday tragedies that we should never become complacent to and should always strive to prevent.

But there is something especially devastating when astronauts die like that, as though all our hopes for the future are dying with them. I fear for the continuance of the space-programme, upon which our long-term future may depend.

Comments

[yonmei.livejournal.com]

As for it being Osama bin Laden, well Simpson writes that this particular Arab really made an impression on him and he never forgot his face and thus recognised him when bin Laden became 'Public Enemy Number 1'.

I think it might not be true because I think that John Simpson is as likely to be as guilty as the rest of us in liking to make a good story better by making an anonymous Arab into Public Enemy No. 1. My urban-legend detector beeps madly.

If you don't believe him, take it up with him. Or better yet, try reading the book and make your mind up in the light of the full facts, rather than reaching a conclusion based on my summary of what he writes.

You're absolutely right, of course, and I should do that.