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Web Site Claims GI Captured in Iraq
My Way News ^ | February 1, 2005 | ROBERT H. REID

Posted on 02/01/2005 11:22:09 AM PST by Peach

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraqi militants claimed in a Web statement Tuesday to have taken an American soldier hostage and threatened to behead him in 72 hours unless the Americans release Iraqi prisoners.

The posting, on a Web site that frequently carried militants' statements, included a photo of what appeared to be an American soldier in desert fatigues seated with his hands tied behind his back.

A gun barrel was pointed at his head, and he is seated in front of a black banner emblazoned with the Islamic profession of faith, "There is no god but God and Muhammad is His prophet."

A U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, Marine Sgt. Salju K. Thomas, said he had no information on the claim but "we are currently looking into it."

A statement posted with the picture suggested the group was holding other soldiers.

"Our mujahadeen heroes of Iraq's Jihadi Battalion were able to capture American military man John Adam after killing a number of his comrades and capturing the rest," said the statement, signed by the "Mujahedeen Brigades."

"God willing, we will behead him if our female and male prisoners are not released from U.S. prisons within the maximum period of 72 hours from the time this statement has been released," the statement said.

The claim, carried on the Web site ansarnet.ws, could not be verified.

More than 180 foreigners have been kidnapped in the past year. At least 10 of them, including three American civilians, remain in the hands of their kidnappers.

The only American soldier known to have been taken hostage is Pfc. Keith M. Maupin, 20, of Batavia, Ohio, who was shown in a video in April being held by militants. Another video aired in June showed what purported to be Maupin's slaying, but the picture was too unclear to confirm it was him and the military still lists him as missing.

Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun went missing in Iraq in June and later photos surfaced on Arab television showing him blindfolded with a sword to his head. In July he made his way to the U.S. Embassy in Beirut. Back in the United States, he said he had been captured, but in December he was charged with desertion for the incident.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: abduction; actionfigure; angrybert; ansarnet; ansarnetws; ap; assininepress; cody; doll; elmo; fraud; gijoe; hassoun; hoax; hoaxes; hostage; hostages; ignorantmedia; iraq; johnadam; keithmaupin; keithmmaupin; maupin; mujahedeenbrigades; sham; soldier; terrorists; threats; toy; toys; toysintheattic; wassefalihassoun; wassefhassoun
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1 posted on 02/01/2005 11:22:09 AM PST by Peach
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To: Peach

2 posted on 02/01/2005 11:23:22 AM PST by Peach
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To: Dog

Ping


3 posted on 02/01/2005 11:23:33 AM PST by Peach
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To: Peach

Post the photo....and the larger the better.


4 posted on 02/01/2005 11:23:42 AM PST by Dog
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To: Dog

I am praying that this is just not true :(


5 posted on 02/01/2005 11:25:35 AM PST by JuliaAnne
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To: Dog

dog - the photo is showing up for me. Is it just showing up as a red box for you or something? Cause I'm looking right at this young man.


6 posted on 02/01/2005 11:25:41 AM PST by Peach
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To: Peach; Jeff Head; Travis McGee; Poohbah; Coop; hchutch
I need you all to look at this photo and tell me if you think the vest is what is being issued and worn in Iraq.

Also does the M-16 shown look small?

7 posted on 02/01/2005 11:26:05 AM PST by Dog
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To: Dog; All

Does anyone know how to make the photo larger? Dog has a question about something regarding this photo which is on Drudge's web site.


8 posted on 02/01/2005 11:26:27 AM PST by Peach
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To: Dog

Heard any more?


9 posted on 02/01/2005 11:26:31 AM PST by nuconvert (No More Axis of Evil by Christmas ! TLR)
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To: Peach

Ok, somethings I'd like to point out... first, that vest, and those boots, they aren't military issue, if they are I've never seen em. Next, the mag in the M4 isn't issued I believe, it looks like a mag you would buy for civilian use.


10 posted on 02/01/2005 11:27:15 AM PST by BladeLWS
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Is this a hoax?
The 'captured soldier' suspiciously looks like a doll for sale on the internet.


military analyst James Marks states -
Marks, a retired Army general, said he has several questions about the photograph's authenticity. A flak jacket the man is wearing in the picture has an unfamiliar kind of piping or trim along its edges, Marks said. The man's open-legged pants, as opposed to gathered hems, seem odd, he said. Marks also questioned what appeared to be camouflage paint on the man's face. "We have not used camo paint with conventional forces serving in Iraq," Marks said.
11 posted on 02/01/2005 11:27:22 AM PST by BlackRain
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To: Dog

It looks like an M-4, not a M-16. The vest though, looks odd. Doesn't look like anything I've seen on one of our soldiers. If this video is authentic, then they might have strapped explosives to him.


12 posted on 02/01/2005 11:27:35 AM PST by Ex-Dem (This tagline has been defaced.)
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To: deport

Post the photo and make it large.


13 posted on 02/01/2005 11:27:40 AM PST by Dog
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To: Dog

Why leave the kneepads on the guy? In fact, do the troops generaly wear those? I hadn't noticed them before.


14 posted on 02/01/2005 11:27:46 AM PST by prairiebreeze (George W Bush: Spending well-earned political capital.)
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To: BlackRain

Holy crap.


15 posted on 02/01/2005 11:28:19 AM PST by Dog
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To: BlackRain

It does look exactly like the doll for sale on the 'net.


16 posted on 02/01/2005 11:29:03 AM PST by Peach
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To: BlackRain
WOW!
17 posted on 02/01/2005 11:29:14 AM PST by Kennesaw
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To: BlackRain

I should have said...the clothes/uniform look like what's on sale on the 'net.


18 posted on 02/01/2005 11:29:25 AM PST by Peach
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To: Peach
The other thread about this has a statement from the Pentagon saying this story isn't true and that we have no personnel missing.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1333518/posts

19 posted on 02/01/2005 11:29:27 AM PST by lonevoice (Vast Right Wing Pajama Party)
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To: BlackRain
The 'captured soldier' suspiciously looks like a doll for sale on the internet.

Did you ever consider becoming an investigative journalist? You just broke this story wide open.

20 posted on 02/01/2005 11:29:45 AM PST by 1LongTimeLurker
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