Melissa Fung, a tenacious young CBC TV reporter who previously worked in Vancouver, has been released by her captors in Afghanistan after four weeks.

Media outlets didn't report that Fung was abducted on October 12 in Kabul. CBC only released the news after she was freed.

Her Vancouver parents, Kellog and Joyce, were thrilled to hear  her voice on the phone, according to a CBC report.  

I remember Fung as a bright star who was making her mark in Vancouver and in the legislative press gallery in Victoria several years ago.

She was a genuine reporter in those days, and not one of those  lazy  quasi-journalists  who sit around waiting for news releases to land on their desk.

I remember one evening in the Media Club when she joked that she wanted to kick the fat ass of one of B.C.'s most famous journalists. It was clear that she didn't hold him in high regard—and for good reason.

It didn't surprise me when Fung was put on the fast track and ended up on the national news. But I was concerned about seeing her reporting from Afghanistan because it's not a hospitable place for western women who like to kick butt.

I suspect that  Fung was doing her job visiting a refugee camp—rather than just waiting for crumbs from the military—when she was grabbed.

This civil  war in Afghanistan is taking a terrible toll on Canada. The Taliban can  call upon  an endless number of Pashtuns who are being trained in the madrassas of neighbouring Pakistan.

In the meantime, some of Canada's best and brightest are being caught in the crossfire, including Melissa Fung.

I hope she knows that there are a lot of people in Vancouver beyond just her parents who are thrilled to hear she is finally free.

Let's all wish her a speedy recovery from what must have been a harrowing experience.