The Associated Press is reporting today that the U.S. military has arrested an Afghan journalist in the eastern region of Ghazni, saying it is investigating suspicions he may have been too close to Taliban militants.
Colleagues told AP that Naikzad was in regular contact with members of the Taliban and government officials so he could report on insurgent and government activities. He is an ethnic Tajik, a group that tends to be hostile to the Taliban. Since late 2007, The Associated Press says it has used video and photographs supplied by Naikzad on a freelance basis. An active local radio journalist, he also has worked for Al-Jazeera Arabic service, AP says. The U.S. has detained local journalists in both Afghanistan and Iraq for questioning or on suspicions of having contact with anti-U.S. elements. In most cases, they eventually have been exonerated or released, according to AP. Here's the Associated Press story.
