NPRs Public Statements Editors note published on the story page: Earlier today, we published and distributed a story

by Ahmad Shafi recounting his experience witnessing a public execution in Kabul in 1998. Since the story was published, it has come to our attention that portions of the piece were copied from a story by Jason Burke, published by the London Review of Books in March 2001. We have removed Shafi's story from our website.

Anna Christopher of Media Relations: What happened is fairly simple: an intern made a mistake. English is not Shafis first language; its one of five he speaks. In writing about this execution he witnessed in 1998, he went looking for a better way to describe what he remembered seeing. When asked about the similar passages by our editors, he was completely upfront and honest, and deeply contrite.

Senior Vice President for News Margaret Low Smiths email to member stations. Later forwarded to Poynter: Earlier today, we published and distributed a story by Ahmad Shafi recounting his experience witnessing a public execution in Kabul in 1998. Since the story was published, it has come to our attention that portions of the piece were copied from a story by Jason Burke, published by the London Review of Books in March 2001. We have unpublished the piece by Ahmad Shafi and ask that all stations remove the story from their websites, as well. Shafi is an NPR intern. He came to DC after working for us in our Kabul bureau as a producer and fixer. We deeply regret this incident.