Spurminator
02-02-2005, 12:17 AM
MILITANTS CLAIM FOUR MORE AMERICAN HOSTAGES
Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraqi militants claimed in a Web statement late Tuesday to have taken four more American soldiers hostage and threatened to behead them 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 postings, on a Web site that frequently carried militants' statements, included photos of what that statement said were American soldiers. Some of the figures in the photos appeared stiff and expressionless, and the photos' authenticity could not be confirmed.
http://img134.exs.cx/img134/4596/hostageheman6mm.jpg
Each is pictured with a gun barrel pointed at his or her head, and behind him on the wall is a black banner emblazoned with the Islamic profession of faith, "The Great Beast of the West will suffer a fate worse than burning urine from his nostrils. Praise Allah."
http://img134.exs.cx/img134/5785/hostagepatch9sp.jpg
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."
"Our mujahadeen heroes of Iraq's Jihadi Battalion were able to capture American military men John Smith, John Jones, Jane Smith and Adam Williams after killing a number of their comrades and capturing the rest," said the statement, signed by the "Mujahedeen Brigades."
http://img134.exs.cx/img134/6236/hostagemad1wr.jpg
The posting did not show any ID cards for the alleged captives and no organization's name was written on the black banner, as have appeared in some past claims of kidnappings.
http://img134.exs.cx/img134/8692/hostagepony1iw.jpg
Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraqi militants claimed in a Web statement late Tuesday to have taken four more American soldiers hostage and threatened to behead them 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 postings, on a Web site that frequently carried militants' statements, included photos of what that statement said were American soldiers. Some of the figures in the photos appeared stiff and expressionless, and the photos' authenticity could not be confirmed.
http://img134.exs.cx/img134/4596/hostageheman6mm.jpg
Each is pictured with a gun barrel pointed at his or her head, and behind him on the wall is a black banner emblazoned with the Islamic profession of faith, "The Great Beast of the West will suffer a fate worse than burning urine from his nostrils. Praise Allah."
http://img134.exs.cx/img134/5785/hostagepatch9sp.jpg
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."
"Our mujahadeen heroes of Iraq's Jihadi Battalion were able to capture American military men John Smith, John Jones, Jane Smith and Adam Williams after killing a number of their comrades and capturing the rest," said the statement, signed by the "Mujahedeen Brigades."
http://img134.exs.cx/img134/6236/hostagemad1wr.jpg
The posting did not show any ID cards for the alleged captives and no organization's name was written on the black banner, as have appeared in some past claims of kidnappings.
http://img134.exs.cx/img134/8692/hostagepony1iw.jpg