Posted on 04/08/2022 9:45:52 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Online users claimed Lt. Gen. Roger Cloutier, an American NATO officer, was recently captured in Ukraine. That’s false. He hasn’t been in Ukraine since July 2021.
It has been nearly six weeks since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine. As of April 3, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has recorded 1,417 Ukrainians killed and 2,038 injured across the country. Gruesome images from Bucha and stories of deadly attacks in Mariupol have dominated news reports around the world.
On April 7, Ukraine appealed to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for more weapons to help in its fight against Russia. NATO is an international organization of 30 member states.
Putin has historically been against NATO's involvement in Eastern Europe, specifically in former Soviet Union States. Ukraine became independent of the Soviet Union in 1991, and is not a member of NATO.
Since the invasion, NATO has said they will not send troops to Ukraine nor police any no-fly zone, because doing so could escalate that conflict with Russia. Individual member countries are supplying anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons, as well as equipment and medical supplies.
Despite the fact NATO has said they will not send troops, online users shared a rumor that NATO’s Allied Land Commander and U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Roger L. Cloutier Jr. was in Ukraine recently and was captured by Russian forces in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol.
THE QUESTION Was U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Roger L. Cloutier Jr. captured in Ukraine by the Russian Army?
THE SOURCES North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
NATO Allied Land Command Facebook and Twitter accounts
LinkedIn account profile for Lt. Gen. Roger Cloutier
Google Maps
THE ANSWER
This is FALSE.
No, U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Cloutier was not captured in Ukraine. A NATO spokesperson told VERIFY Cloutier has not been in Ukraine since July 2021.
WHAT WE FOUND
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Roger L. Cloutier Jr., who also commands NATO's Allied Land Command, refuted claims he was captured in Ukraine in the comment section of a post on his LinkedIn page.
In response to one person asking if he could comment on reports that he and others were captured by the Russian military, Cloutier wrote: “These rumors are completely false.” VERIFY reached out to Cloutier on LinkedIn, but did not receive a response.
On April 5, Cloutier was hosting NATO’s Land Operations Working Group in Izmir, Turkey, NATO told VERIFY in an email. He was never captured and is “alive and well,” the email said. Cloutier assumed command of NATO’s Allied Land Command in August 2020. U.S. military officers can serve as NATO commanders.
Cloutier’s last visit to Ukraine was a visit to Kyiv in July 2021, NATO told VERIFY. That was prior to Russia’s invasion.
Photos of Cloutier speaking at the event in Izmir on April 5, 2022, can be seen on the official Facebook and Twitter accounts for NATO’s Allied Land Command.
VERIFY also confirmed the group photo posted to the Allied Land Command's social media account was taken from Comhuriyet Boulevard in Izmir by comparing the buildings in the background of the photo to images on Google Maps.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Good.
But why would the Russians promote such a story anyway? It makes no sense............
Hilariously false. Kudos to all the bloggers who made $$$ with this clickbait. 🤣 😂 😅
So much BS coming out of Ukraine, you need wings to stay above it.
;>)
When ABC claims something is false, I assume (odds are) it’s true! That fact is in no way humorous to me!
Good joke. Haha, caught me off guard, I fell for it on another post.
It could have been some kid in his bedroom in Bulgaria for all we know.
Possible, but it would be traceable..................
“But why would the Russians promote such a story anyway? It makes no sense...”
Ever think the ABC story is part of the propaganda pushed by the media? NO. That could never happen! We know the so-called fact-checkers always get it right.
One thing seems to be true and that is that the Ukrainians have lost anywhere from five to ten helicopters attempting to evacuate something or someone from Mariupol? Makes one wonder.
IF the Russians had him—They would have paraded him in front of the cameras by now. Are their Americans helping Ukraine—good bet they are—but they should have the good sense to not get captured or take the poison pill they are given.
I believe nothing that doesn’t make historical sense. Perhaps this guy was captured, perhaps not. The thing is, there are US military “advisors” in country training the Ukrainians on the weapons your grandchildren bought for them. If this is untrue, at least the Russians pick the guy who would be conducting our clandestine operations there. He’s the head of LANDCOM.
Allied Land Command (LANDCOM) formerly Allied Land Forces South-Eastern Europe (LANDSOUTHEAST) is the standing headquarters for NATO land forces which may be assigned as necessary. The Commander LANDCOM is the prime land warfare advisor to the Alliance. When directed by the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, it provides the core of the headquarters responsible for the conduct of land operations. The command is based at Şirinyer (Buca), İzmir in Turkey.
“It makes no sense.” From the view of former KGB man Putin it makes very good sense. It will be spread by Tass to third world countries and by pro-Russia governments and media to discredit NATO and the West. It also links into showing that the West is actively supporting the “Nazi Azov brigade” by sending NATO’s top US general to lead it in Mariupol.
Think back to all of the fake stories that the KGB produced during the Cold War to cause harm to the US and the NATO alliance. We are just in Cold War - Part Two
And how many folks here in the US will believe that it is true....and if Trump were still president, all of the MSM would be leading all their news broadcasts with it.
Something SMELLS.
The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated...
Whenever I see these snotty, condescendingly worded headlines I always wait a couple days.
There is usually a follow up…”Here’s why a high ranking US military official getting captured isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”
Wouldn't that violate the Geneva Conventions?
read the graphic in post #13
the LTG himself denies the bogus story
read the graphic in post #13
the LTG himself denies the bogus story
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