Rather Headed to Afghanistan

Dan Rather has become the first of the major network evening-news anchors to head to the battle zone in Afghanistan, but CBS News is being coy about his whereabouts.

Rather, who left for the war zone Monday, is “currently working his way into Afghanistan,” said spokeswoman Sandy Genelius. Although CBS already has numerous correspondents in the region and the trip has kept Rather off the air for much of the week, his first report, from Bahrain, was scheduled to air Thursday night. “The one indisputable thing we know about Dan Rather is, when there is a big story, he wants to be there to report it,” Genelius said.

For competitive reasons, CBS also declined to say which city Rather was heading to, even as parts of the country are degenerating into lawlessness and safety has become a major concern for the news organizations operating there. “We’re being extra careful with everyone we have in the region,” Genelius said, adding that Rather is a highly experienced war correspondent.

Rather, who is 70, also has experience in the region, having traveled there in 1980 for a “60 Minutes” report, most famously crossing the border in traditional Afghan garb.

Rather could possibly be joined at some point by “NBC Nightly News” anchor Tom Brokaw, although Brokaw has no immediate plans to go, said spokeswoman Caryn Mautner. NBC has applied to the Defense Department, however, for access to certain activities in Afghanistan, and said the network would consider sending the anchor “if there is a way [for Brokaw] to go over there and advance the story,” Mautner said.

An ABC News spokesman said Peter Jennings has no immediate plans to go to the area. Meanwhile CNN’s Walt Rodgers was selected for the coveted TV pool reporter slot in southern Afghanistan.