To the Point

Reporting from Afghanistan

Recent events have sent more foreign journalists to Afghanistan than anytime in that nation's history. Although it's rare for international correspondents to be killed, seven have. Three died in a firefight between the Taliban and Northern Alliance, another four in an ambush on a lonely mountain road. We speak with four combat reporters who risk their lives to get the stories the world needs to hear: Paul Watson, of the Los Angeles Times, Kathy Gannon of Associated Press, Arthur Kent who co-produced the documentary Afghanistan: Captives of the Warlords, and Ahmed Rashid of the Far Eastern Economic Review. Newsmaker: Ayman Al-Zawahiri: "The Brain to the Body" - Ayman Al-Zawahiri is the number two man in the al Qaeda network, "the brains behind Osama bin Laden." Joshua Cooper Ramo, of Time magazine, has more on the man who helped build the "decapitation-proof" network that has terrorized the world. Reporter's Notebook: Will Kids' Letters to Santa Get Answered This Year? - Letters to Santa are still pouring into America's mailboxes, yet because of the anthrax scare, Santa must take unprecedented precautions. Rick Brooks, who covers the package-delivery industry for The Wall Street Journal, laments the unfortunate irony that that may keep many lumpy lopsided letters from reaching their intended target.