let's keep a good thought for paul salopek

i can't imagine being kept against one's will in sudan. the horror stories coming out of there are stomach churning. without people like mr salopek, we would get NO news

Spying Charge Brought Against Geographic Reporter in Sudan

Ted Chamberlain
August 26, 2006
On assignment for National Geographic magazine in Africa, U.S. journalist Paul Salopek was charged with espionage and other crimes today by a Sudanese court—charges that could land him in prison for years.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning correspondent had been reporting on the Sahel—the semi-arid southern fringe of the Sahara that stretches nearly the width of Africa. Three weeks ago Sudanese forces in Darfur Province captured him and his driver and interpreter, who are both from neighboring Chad (map of Africa).
(Both National Geographic News and National Geographic magazine are parts of the National Geographic Society.)
At the time of his arrest, Salopek, who is on leave from the Chicago Tribune, had been carrying publicly available maps of Darfur and two United States passports, which Sudanese officials consider indications that he was spying, according to sources close to the investigation.
Traveling with multiple passports is legal and even common among reporters looking to shuttle among several countries without arousing suspicion.
"As one who has worked in Africa for more than 15 years, I have two passports," said Chris Johns, Editor in Chief and photographer for National Geographic magazine. ........