Like the story says, guys like him are hired in every war zone/disputed territory. You can't send a white guy/gal into a lot of these places, even if they speak the language. A lot of there reporters/photogs are some of the bravest people you're ever met, and most certainly the most resourceful.
One of my favorite stories is from a reporter in Israel who told me he was in the territories, West Bank somewhere, and his cell phone went out. A Palestinian stringer that was with him grabbed the phone, shimmied up a telephone pole and charged it up somehow.
