Small Wars Journal

Tracking Down Mortenson's Schools In Pakistan

  1. Blog
Tue, 05/17/2011 - 2:27am
Tracking Down Mortenson's Schools In Pakistan - Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Special Report. BLUF: "As suspicions swirl about the authenticity of events in Three Cups of Tea, RFE's on-the-ground reporting has uncovered evidence that at least two of Greg Mortenson's schools not only exist but are serving their scholastic purpose. Through interviews with school officials, villagers, and the families of students in Pakistan's remote northwest, Radio Mashaal has learned that even if people don't recognize Mortenson's name, they do know the name of his charity, the Central Asia Institute (CAI)." RFE/RL is posting updates on Facebook and Twitter.

A RFE/RL correspondent visits the Immit and Majaweer schools.

Comments

Riley (not verified)

Tue, 05/17/2011 - 11:14am

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I believe the issue being raised would be that money supposedly given to his charity may not have been used to build schools like the charitable people thought.

As for SJPONeill's comment:

A. Yes, some good was probably done but just because some good was done it does not excuse the reported lies in his book.

B. As far as worth reading is concerned. Maybe to some it is worth reading but I believe people are assuming it is factual information about charity work in a foreign land. So facts need to be facts and not just some trumped up story to impress people.

I think those are the problems people are concerned with in regards to this story.

SJPONeill

Tue, 05/17/2011 - 2:48am

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OK...so he presented his version of events in the book - who gives a fat's rats so long as a. so good was done and b. some of what he wrote was worth reading. We really need to get over this destructive combination of tall poppy syndrome and moral self-righteousness that permeates the COE