Afghanistan

One hopes that the New York Times is aware of the ethical shambles that it has on its hands with the rescue of journalist Stephen Farrell. His translator, a British soldier, and God knows who else are dead as a result of his rescue. Here's Farrell's account of his days in captivity. It's a little oblique in explaining whether or not he was where he was against government advice. Note also that he appears to be using his Irish passport, as the Taliban assumed he was Irish. Other Irish people might want to bear in mind the decreasing utility of an Irish passport in these situations, although the UK one seems helpful in getting a raid on your behalf.

UPDATE: Strong echoes of the Daniele Mastrogiacomo case. Different methods, same outcome.

FINAL UPDATE: The dead soldier is Corporal John Harrison, pictured above. A woman in the house where the hostages were being held was also killed. As Farrell explains, the residents of these shelter houses have little choice in the matter.