Paul Salopek, the National Geographic reporter who was arrested in the Sudan and charged with spying a few weeks back, is getting some help from New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. According to this article the Governor intends to fly to the Sudan, along with Salopek's wife, and the Editor of NG, in an attempt to speak with the Sudanese President on behalf of the jailed reporter. Hopefully we'll have some good news soon regarding this case.
The whole story just underscores the issues you have to be aware of when travling in a foreign country. Salopek was being very careful I'm sure. He's an experienced traveler and writer (Two Pulitzer Prizes), but even someone who is careful can still run afoul of the law. In Salopek's case, he was arrested because he was carrying two passports, which is a common practice amongst journalists who want to cross borders quickly and easily. However, the Sudanese military who stopped him thought that it was an indication of spying. Just an unfortunate set of circumstances, and misunderstandings, that can result in a serious problem while traveling abroad.
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