NY Times reporter escapes Taliban

KABUL – A New York Times reporter known for making investigative trips deep inside dangerous conflict zones escaped from militant captors after more than seven months in captivity in Afghanistan and Pakistan by climbing over a wall, the newspaper said on Saturday.

David S Rohde, 41, was abducted on November 10 along with an Afghan reporter colleague and a driver south of the Afghan capital, Kabul. He had been travelling through Logar province to interview a Taliban commander, but was apparently intercepted and taken by other militants on the way.The Times reported that Rohde and Afghan reporter Tahir Ludin, 35, on Friday climbed over the wall of a compound where they were held captive in the North Waziristan region of Pakistan.The two then found a Pakistani army scout, who led them to a nearby base, the Times said. On Saturday, the two were flown to the US military base in Bagram, Afghanistan, the Times reported.Rohde, reported to be in good health, said his driver remained with their captors.In Washington, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the US is ‘very pleased’ that Rohde is safe and returning home. He said the escape ‘marks the end of a long and difficult ordeal.’Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton thanked the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan for their assistance in ensuring Rohde’s safe return. She said she was ‘greatly relieved’ that he was safe and would be reuniting soon with his family.Afghan officials confirmed the kidnapping in the days after the abduction, but The Associated Press and most other Western news outlets respected a request from the Times to not report on the abductions because the publicity could negatively affect hostage rescue efforts and imperil Rohde’s life.’From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David’s family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much,’ Bill Keller, the Times’ executive editor, said in a story posted on the Times’ Web site.