Free Republic

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...

CINCINNATI - The Army said Monday it cannot determine whether a video that appeared to show a captured soldier being shot by militants was legitimate, and said the figure in the grainy video could have been a dummy made to look like a human being. An Arab satellite station broadcast the video in June, reporting that the man being shot in the head was Spc. Keith M. Maupin, 21, who was captured when his convoy was attacked west of Baghdad. Department of Defense officials said they were unable to confirm the report despite repeated analysis of the tape. Military officials...

Hundreds of people showed up for a Friday night vigil in support of hostage Matt Maupin on the steps of the Clermont County courthouse in Batavia. The events kicked off at 7 p.m. off with the Pledge of Allegiance led by by Clermont County Commissioner Bob Proud. "I know when we planned this, we planned this with the thought that he's alive. Now we know he's alive and being held hostage. We must keep strong," said Proud following the pledge. Proud stressed the importance of yellow ribbons as a sign of support in the community. He also announced that ClermontYellowRibbon.com...

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi guerrillas paraded a captive U.S. soldier Friday, shortly after President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair vowed to stamp out all violence in Iraq. Arabic television station Al Jazeera broadcast a video tape that showed U.S. Private Keith Matthew Maupin held by masked and heavily armed guerrillas after being captured in an attack on a convoy last week. "A group of mujahideen (holy fighters) has succeeded in taking an American soldier prisoner...and he will be treated in the Islamic tradition of treating prisoners and he is in good health," one guerrilla read from a statement....

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi guerrillas have paraded a captive U.S. soldier after U.S. President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair vowed to stamp out all violence in Iraq. Arabic television station Al Jazeera broadcast a video tape that showed U.S. Private Keith Matthew Maupin held by masked and heavily armed guerrillas after being captured in an attack on a convoy last week. "A group of mujahideen (holy fighters) has succeeded in taking an American soldier prisoner...and he will be treated in the Islamic tradition of treating prisoners and he is in good health," one guerrilla read from a...

DUBAI (Reuters) - Arabic television station Al Jazeera aired Friday a video tape it said was from an unidentified Iraqi guerrilla group, apparently showing a U.S. soldier hostage. The poor-quality tape showed a white male dressed in military fatigues sitting on the floor surrounded by masked gunmen. One of the men, reading a statement, said their hostage was an American soldier who later on in the tape identified himself as Keith Matthew Maupin.

U.S. military officials have seen video of an American soldier who was taken hostage in Iraq, ABCNEWS has learned. A senior military official told ABCNEWS that the soldier in the video was one of two G.I.s who disappeared on April 9, during the same convoy attack in which American contract worker Thomas Hamill was taken hostage. In the video, which the official expected to be shown on the Arabic television channel Al Jazeera, the soldier is seen talking, the military official said. Al Jazeera denied having the video. The two soldiers who were unaccounted for since April 9 were Sgt....