Two stories - one a brief bio and re his putative program there; other about circumstances of capture.

This version suggests that his efforts to meet with some locals was turned into a setup. He found self and party on a mt. road with Taliban enroute fore and aft.

Sat-foned for CIA ---> US planes allegedly did attack some of the T. forces converging. Haq's party scattered - he on horseback - but he and a nephew were caught, 'tried', shot. There was no direct US aid in his activities in Afg. A couple Americans along, were apparently rescued (if so - by means not made explicit in paper's report). No idea what this portends, but from article -

Robert C. Mc Farlane, national security advisor to Reagan during '86 US/Afghan involvements, who was called by James Ritchie* (called direct by Haq during impending attack) - faulted CIA for not working directly with Haq on this foray and for their (CIA) not speaking the Afghan language (! that too?)

"They spend $30B and they don't have anybody out there who speaks Dari or who understands who these players are."

* wealthy American who had funded Haq's foray; appears to have Afg. experience re round-world balloon flight planning in past.

This is hardly a verified account, but the comment about our utter intelligence incompetence / D'Oh! unawareness / of what ANYONE not Murican thinks.. ABOUT Muricans, in the world - until a few weeks AFTER 9/11 !! - speaks volumes about where we are, and what might happen next.

Obviously: $30B + bonehead mono-lingual intelligence overall = buys you a dead foray like this one. Will an extra $1B fix the next one?



A.