I can't believe that the US military is allowing the negotiation for the release of a US soldier being held by kidnappers.
There's a standard all American name. One that says he would never betray his country, and join the Army of Islame.
Question: Why was his wife in Iraq?
This incident reminds me ofthe Marine that went missing in Iraq and then turned up in Lebanaon. He was later charged with desertion.
1. The sum of 250,000 is possibly not a ransom, but a proof of life request. Iraqi kidnappers generally do a first round of bargaining and payoff, to build the suspense, and milk a little extra money. Being that this is a news report of likely 2nd or 3rd hand information, I'd assume that this is just the 'appetizer' price.
2. It is possible he is dead, but professional Iraqi kidnapping rings don't usually kill their hostages. It would be like a farmer shooting a cow before milking it. They don't kidnap for fun, it's a business endeavor. There's no profit in dead hostages.
3. He's clearly in the hands of professional kidnappers, not jihadis.
4. There's an outside chance that the soldier himself, who is a Middle Easterner, and married to an Iraqi woman, is pulling a con. It's not likely, and it's a very dangerous game, but it is possible.
5. Either way, it's good that the U.S. authorities communicate and 'negotiate' with the kidnappers. The more they communicate, the more clues may be gleaned about the kidnappers themselves.