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July 19, 2009
UPDATE About Captured American Soldier ( VIDEO)
In case you missed it on July 2nd, I posted this:
US: American Soldier Captured in Afghanistan
That same day I also post this: ( note the name Haqqani network, it will be in the article further down as to who might have our captured soldier)
Haqqani Network In Afghanistan
Haqqani network, the most deadly US foe in Afghanistan. All are members of Afghanistan's most lethal group, the Haqqani network, a shadowy outfit that many officials consider to be the biggest threat to the American presence in the country. The network is better connected to Pakistani intelligence and Arab jihadist groups than any other Afghan insurgent group, according to American intelligence officials.
This video frame grab taken from a Taliban propaganda video released Saturday, July 18, 2009 shows an American soldier who went missing from his base in eastern Afghanistan June 30 and was later confirmed captured. The soldier, whose identity has not yet been confirmed by the Pentagon pending notification of members of Congress and the soldier's family, says his name, age and hometown on the video, which was released Saturday on a Web site pointed out by the Taliban. Two U.S. defense officials confirmed to The Associated Press that the man in the video is the captured soldier.
(AP Photo/Militant Video)
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AP sources: Taliban video shows captive US soldier
The American soldier who went missing June 30 from his base in eastern Afghanistan and was later confirmed to have been captured, appeared on a video posted Saturday to a Web site by the Taliban, two U.S. defense officials said.
The soldier is shown in the 28-minute video with his head shaved and the start of a beard. He is sitting and dressed in a nondescript, gray outfit. Early in the video one of his captors holds the soldier's dog tag up to the camera. His name and ID number are clearly visible. He is shown eating at one point and sitting on a bed.
The soldier, whose identity has not yet been released by the Pentagon pending notification of members of Congress and the soldier's family, says his name, age and hometown on the video, which was released Saturday on a Web site pointed out by the Taliban. Two U.S. defense officials confirmed to The Associated Press that the man in the video is the captured soldier.
The soldier said the date is July 14. He says he was captured when he lagged behind on a patrol.
He is interviewed in English by his captors, and he is asked his views on the war, which he calls extremely hard, his desire to learn more about Islam and the morale of American soldiers, which he said was low.
Asked how he was doing, the soldier said on the video:
"Well I'm scared, scared I won't be able to go home. It is very unnerving to be a prisoner."
He begins to answer questions in a matter-of-fact and sober voice, occasionally facing the camera, looking down and sometimes looking to the questioner on his left.
He later chokes up when discussing his family and his hope to marry his girlfriend.
"I have my girlfriend, who is hoping to marry," he said. "I have a very, very good family that I love back home in America. And I miss them every day when I'm gone. I miss them and I'm afraid that I might not ever see them again and that I'll never be able to tell them that I love them again and I'll never be able to hug them."
He is also prompted his interrogators to give a message to the American people.
"To my fellow Americans who have loved ones over here, who know what it's like to miss them, you have the power to make our government bring them home," he said. "Please, please bring us home so that we can be back where we belong and not over here, wasting our time and our lives and our precious life that we could be using back in our own country. Please bring us home. It is America and American people who have that power."
The video is not a continuous recording — it appears to stop and start during the questioning.
It is unclear from the video whether the July 14 date is authentic. The soldier says that he heard that a Chinook helicopter carrying 37 NATO troops had been shot down over Helmand. A helicopter was shot down in southern Afghanistan on July 14, but it was carrying civilians on a reported humanitarian mission for NATO forces. All six Ukrainian passengers died in the crash, and a child on the ground was killed.
On July 2, the U.S. military said an American soldier had disappeared after walking off his base in eastern Afghanistan with three Afghan counterparts and was believed to have been taken prisoner. A U.S. defense official said the soldier was noticed missing during a routine check of the unit on June 30 and was first listed as "duty status whereabouts unknown."
Details of such incidents are routinely held very tightly by the military as it works to retrieve a missing or captured soldier without giving away any information to captors.
But Afghan Police Gen. Nabi Mullakheil said the soldier went missing in eastern Paktika province near the border with Pakistan from an American base. The region is known to be Taliban-infested.
The most important insurgent group operating in that area is known as Haqqani network and is led by warlord Siraj Haqqani, whom the U.S. has accused of masterminding beheadings and suicide bombings including the July 2008 attack on the Indian Embassy in Kabul that killed some 60 people. The Haqqani group also was linked to an assassination attempt on Afghan president Hamid Karzai early last year.
On Saturday, a U.S. military official in Kabul, Col. Greg Julian, said the U.S. was "still doing everything we can to return him safely."
Julian said U.S. troops had distributed two flyers in the area where the soldier disappeared. One of them asked for information on the missing soldier and offered a $25,000 reward for his return. The other said "please return our soldier safely" or "we will hunt you," according to Julian.
Wild Thing's comment.........
I wish Obama would let our military be unleashed, and the rules of engagement, and the terrorists’ so-called miranda rights, need to be tossed in the trash. Our foreign policy needs to follow this philosophy: Those that don’t love us must respect us; those that don’t respect us must fear us. The taliban fall in to the last category; fear will come when a bunker-buster sends them to their 72 virgins in hell.
Posted by Wild Thing at July 19, 2009 05:50 AM
Comments
"I wish Obama would let our military be unleashed, and the rules of engagement, and the terrorists’ so-called miranda rights, need to be tossed in the trash."
Our military in Afghanistan and Iraq are fighting on two fronts.
The enemy from without, the Islamist terrorists and the enemy from within, Obama and company.
Kind of like what out military faced in Viet Nam.
Posted by: Bob A at July 19, 2009 08:10 AM
That soldier from Idaho who disappeared from his base in Afghanistan that has been captured.
The Defense Department released the name of Pfc. Bowe (pronounced BOW) R. Bergdahl, 23, who was serving with an Alaska-based infantry regiment. The private was last seen walking away from his base near the border with Pakistan in an area known to be a Taliban stronghold.
We Vietnam vets know that this poor soul's chances of being returned alive and unharmed are nil, these are not Communists, they are not even classed as humans on the evolutionary scale. Pray for him, Obama and congress are not going to put out any extra effort, his fate is in the hands of the enemy and those wonderful troops on the ground, as in all wars, it's you and your buddy next to you fighting to survive.
The only thing Congress and Obama want is totalitarianism!!! Prior commitments are only a distraction.
Posted by: Jack at July 19, 2009 02:19 PM
They are worried about waterboarding. This young man has probably seen the other side already. Although he looks to be in good shape. He will need all the prayers he can get.
Hopefully our guys will find him soon.
Posted by: Mark at July 19, 2009 02:52 PM
Bob A., yes this is even more why I want
them to know we support them. Thank you Bob.
Posted by: Wild Thing at July 19, 2009 04:53 PM
Jack, thank you.
Your right, tons of prayers for him and
for his loved ones too.
Posted by: Wild Thing at July 19, 2009 04:55 PM
Mark,exactly the idiots that worry about
waterboarding, sheesh.
This is very upsetting, I am praying
for him.
Posted by: Wild Thing at July 19, 2009 04:58 PM
I hate to say it but these ROE's came about under Bush.
Posted by: BobF at July 19, 2009 06:13 PM
BobF, obama has issued new ROEs within the last 2 months, they are more restrictive than the one under Bush. If there is any chance of a civilian getting 'injured' the can't fire. They are more good will ambassdors that fighters.
Posted by: Mark at July 19, 2009 09:10 PM
