Kabul, March 4 (RHC)-- In news from Afghanistan, a radio station owner who airs ads paid for by U.S. forces says those same forces raided his station, beat him and threatened to kill him last week, before releasing him the next day without charge.

Qazi Nasir Mudassir told the New York Times that the U.S. special forces, who hooded him and damaged his equipment, appeared to be unaware that his station is largely supported by pro-government ads paid for by the U.S. military -– ads which have earned him death threats from the Taliban.

U.S. forces claimed that the operation was "Afghan-led," but Afghan officials said they were unaware of it and local police said they did not hear about the raid until it was underway.