Claims of GI Hostage in Iraq Raises Doubt
28 minutes ago Middle East - AP
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A Web site posted a photograph of what it claimed was a kidnapped U.S. soldier, but doubts were quickly raised about its authenticity and the U.S. military said no soldiers were missing.
An American toy manufacturer said the figure in the photo resembled one of its military action figures, originally produced for sale at U.S. bases in Kuwait.
The statement appeared on a Web site where militants' statements are often posted and was in the name of a group that has claimed previous kidnappings, the Mujahedeen Brigades.
The Arabic text, however, contained several misspellings and repetitions.
Staff Sgt. Nick Minecci, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, said "no units have reported anyone missing."
The photo in the posting showed a figure dressed in desert fatigues, wearing a vest and knee pads and with a gun pointed to its head. All the items are similar to ones that come in a box with the action figure, named "Cody."
The figure in the photo has its arms behind its body, as if tied, and is leaned against a concrete surface. Hanging on the wall is a black piece of cloth with the Islamic profession of faith written on it in white letters.
But the figure appeared stiff and expressionless. The statement said he was named "John Adam."
Liam Cusack, of the toy manufacturer Dragon Models USA Inc., said the image bore a striking resemblance to the African-American version of its "Cody" action figure.
"It is our doll ... To me, it looks definitely like it is," Cusack told The Associated Press. "Everything the guy is wearing is exactly what comes with our figure. If you look at the two pictures side by side, it'd be a huge coincidence."
The company, based in City of Industry, Calif., produced 4,000 of the figures in 2003 for the U.S. military for sale in its Kuwait bases. It was never sold in the United States but is traded on line among collectors, sometimes to use in highly realistic dioramas, he said.
The Mujahedeen Brigades claimed responsibility for the April abduction of three Japanese, who were released, and of a Brazilian engineer who is missing since last month.
More than 180 foreigners have been kidnapped in the past year. At least 10, including three American civilians, remain in the hands of their kidnappers, and more than 30 have been killed.
The only American soldier known to have been taken hostage is Pfc. Keith M. Maupin, who was shown in a video in April being held by militants. A later video purported to show his slaying, but it could not be confirmed and the military still lists him as missing.
If proven a fake, Tuesday's posting would not be the first hoax associated with kidnappings in Iraq (news - web sites). In August, television stations around the world showed a video in which a 22-year-old San Francisco man faked his own beheading by Iraqi militants.
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