Arab TV Shows Tape of Marine Held Hostage
3 minutes ago
By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD, Iraq - An Arab satellite TV network broadcast a videotape Sunday showing a blindfolded man in military fatigues and said he was a U.S. Marine taken hostage in Iraq (news - web sites).
There was no immediate comment from the U.S. military, but the video showed a card identifying the man by a Pakistani name and as an "active duty" Marine. The man had a trimmed moustache and his eyes were covered with a white blindfold.
The Al-Jazeera network said the group claimed it infiltrated a Marine outpost, lured the man outside and abducted him. The station said the group demanded the release of all Iraqis "in occupation jails" or the man would be killed.
The group identified itself as "Islamic Response," the security wing of the "1920 Revolution Brigades" referring to the uprising against the British after World War I.
Earlier Sunday, another Pakistani hostage was shown on a tape broadcast by a different Arab television station, Al-Arabiya. Four masked gunmen threatened to decapitate him if American troops don't release prisoners in several areas of central Iraq within the next three days.
It was unclear how either set of kidnappers was linked to Jordanian terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who claimed responsibility for the decapitation deaths of American Nicholas Berg and South Korean Kim Sun-il last week.
Also Sunday, Turkey refused demands by militants to cease business with Iraq's U.S. occupiers or three Turkish hostages would be decapitated.
We hang tough over this or Iraq doesn't stand a chance.
Time to start executing every prisoner terrorists demand be released.
Put the South Korean troops in charge of the prisons. They'll gladly behead 100 for each one that the terrorists do.