A week before he was killed during a commando raid that freed his colleague, New York Times reporter Stephen Farrell, from Taliban captors, the Afghan journalist Sultan Munadi wrote a post for the Times’s “At War” blog. His conclusion:
Being a journalist is not enough; it will not solve the problems of Afghanistan. I want to work for the education of the country, because the majority of people are illiterate. That is the main problem facing many Afghans. I am really committed to come back and work for my country.
An article by David Rohde about Munadi—and his role in telling his country’s story, which was much more than “interpreter”—is here. Remembrances from other colleagues are here. Both are well worth a read.
Greg Marx is an associate editor at CJR. Follow him on Twitter @gregamarx.