The AP Should Hire 5th Graders as Fact Checkers!

For cryin' out loud!

Web Site Claims GI Captured in Iraq

Feb 1, 3:03 PM (ET)

By ROBERT H. REID

(AP) 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 U.S. military said it was investigating, but the claim's authenticity could not be immediately confirmed.

The posting, on a Web site that frequently carried militants' statements, included a photo of what that statement said was an American soldier, wearing desert fatigues and seated on a concrete floor with his hands tied behind his back. The figure in the photo appeared stiff and expressionless, and the photo's authenticity could not be confirmed.

A gun barrel was pointed at his head, and behind him on the wall is a black banner emblazoned with the Islamic profession of faith, "There is no god but God and Muhammad is His prophet."




A U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, Marine Sgt. Salju K. Thomas, said he had no information on the claim but "we are currently looking into it."

A statement posted with the picture suggested the group was holding other soldiers. LINK

Ahem.




The soldier's girlfriend, pictured below, could not be reached for comment.





Sorry.

I just couldn't resist.

That AP story made it too easy.