A couple updates to this story. La Repubblica has denied any spying. The Taliban now claim the reporter had lasers in his Shampoo. They say if he can prove he is not a spy they will release him. But they also say he has already confessed. As Rusty said in his previous entry, “When Islamists accuse a hostage of spying, it is usually a prelude to his murder.”

Reuters: ROME, March 7 (Reuters) - Italian newspaper La Repubblica has denied that one of its journalists who was kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan was a spy.
A Taliban spokesman said on Tuesday that Daniele Mastrogiacomo, 52, had confessed to spying for British troops after being picked up in the lawless Helmand province.

"He has no relationship whatsoever either with military organisations nor with police or intelligence services of any kind or country," Ezio Mauro, the paper's editor-in-chief, said in a statement on Wednesday.

Agence France Presse news agency said on Wednesday it received a voice recording of a man claiming to be top Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah, who said the reporter and two Afghans accompanying him had confessed to seeking information on the guerrilla group's hideouts to provide to British troops.

SPIN BOLDAK, Afghanistan (Reuters) - The Taliban said on Friday they would free kidnapped Italian reporter Daniele Mastrogiacomo if he could prove he was not a spy.

Khan said the Taliban had recovered a video camera, a satellite phone and "lasers in shampoo bottles" that could help in air strikes on the Taliban positions. Air strikes are often guided by lasers from troops on the ground.

"We're investigating if the journalist Daniele was involved in bringing lasers in shampoo bottles," he added.

In case you are wondering just what the Taliban does to those they consider to be a spy. Of course they think everyone is a spy.

Which reminds me that, Adahm Gadahn has been leaving Rusty secret messages in that open directory on as-Sahab’s server. He has been regularly emailing TJR asking to be rescued. He keeps saying how he, "loves America" and is being held, "against his will." and forced to narrate all those Taliban Videos. He also sent me his location and asked for a dozen laser pointers and a short wave radio. I just want to let Adahm know that we are doing all we can to help. ;)

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