Italian Journo Kidnapped in Afghanistan

Italian reporter, Daniele Mastrogiacomo, 52, has been kidnapped in Afghanistan. Mastrogiacomo, a foreign correspondent for Rome's La Repubblica, was born in Pakistan and holds dual Swiss/Italian citizenship. Rome has gone out in protest supporting the release of Mastrogiacomo and a petition is circulating to assure his safe and speedy return. He is reportedly in the hands of the Taliban, and the Taliban recently said that Mastrogiacomo's fate is "still to be decided".

Developing . . .

( photo courtesy of La Stampa)

(Above: Ezio Mauro, the Editor-in-Chief of La Repubblica; Walter Veltroni, the Mayor of Rome, and Rosa Calipari, the wife of Italian Sismi agent Nicola Calipari who was killed by U.S. forces in a friendly-fire incident)

****UPDATE****

Daniele Mastrogiacomo was released this week in a prisoner exchange with the Italians, 5 captured Taliban for il Signore Mastrogiacomo. The U.S. government lodged a complaint with the Italian government about releasing 5 Taliban, but Massimo D'Alema, Italy's Foreign Minister, said he had "no regrets".