A posting on a jihadist website claims that an Iraqi terrorist group is holding a US soldier captive, and is threatening to decapitate him if male and female prisioners held in Iraq are not freed within 72 hours.
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."The claim has not been formally verified yet.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.
UPDATE - 3P ET The Pentagon insists that no soldiers are missing, though this image, supposedly of a US soldier would otherwise disproove that notion.
I'll post video as soon as it's available.
UPDATE: I've got a link to the "fake GI" story here.
Posted by mhking at February 1, 2005 01:15 PMLooks like a GI Joe
Posted by: benzene at February 1, 2005 03:23 PMthis is a fake... its an army action figure... sick, whoever did this.
Posted by: FAKE at February 1, 2005 04:09 PMyeah, that is a doll. tell them to go ahead and decapitate that piece of plastic.
Posted by: Mike at February 1, 2005 04:09 PMIt's actually a doll that is made by Dragon Action Figures.
http://thetoyfederation.com/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=16555&cat=&page=3
That link will bring up a picture of a doll produced by them. The most noticable things are the flak jacket, which has a piped outer layer which the US currently does not use, and as you can see the flak jacket matches the doll's exactly, as does the gun pointed at "captive's head". This is merely a kid playing a game.
Still, technically speaking, the message from the terrorists remains chilling -- they will behead the American soldier if their demands are not met within 72 hours.
Leaving out the word "doll" was a typo I should expect.
Great scoop ... of what, I'm not sure.
Ric
