Missing G.I. Seen on Tape Provided by Iraqi Captors

[cb88]

Missing G.I. Seen on Tape Provided by Iraqi Captors

By IAN FISHER and JEFFREY GETTLEMAN

Published: April 17, 2004


Excerpt:

AGHDAD, Iraq, April 16 — An American soldier who has been missing for a week since his fuel convoy was attacked west of Baghdad was seen on a videotape on Friday being held captive by six armed and masked men. The family of the soldier, Pfc. Keith Maupin, 20, of Batavia, Ohio, confirmed his identity.

A voice speaking in Arabic on the tape, first shown on the Arab news network Al Jazeera, said Private Maupin was being held to trade for Iraqi prisoners of the Americans.

Private Maupin, who identified himself on the tape, was dressed in fatigues and a floppy desert hat and shown looking down, chewing on his lip nervously. The Pentagon said he was one of two soldiers missing after an attack on April 9. Seven civilian contractors are also missing from that attack.

"I came to Iraq to liberate it," Private Maupin said, according to an Arabic translation broadcast by Al Jazeera, in a soft and uncertain voice. "But I didn't want to come here because I wanted to be with my son." He said he was married and had a 10-month-old son.

The tape was released on a complex day in the struggle to end two serious standoffs between Iraqi insurgents and the United States military, as a rebel Shiite Muslim cleric again defied a crucial American demand and as American officials said their patience with Sunni Muslim insurgents was running out.

Rest of the story: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/17/in...17IRAQ.html?th

Al Jazeera TV, via Reuters

Pfc. Keith M. Maupin, an American captive shown on videotape.

[odannyboy]

He's from the 724th Transportation Bn. out of Bartonville, IL., only a few miles away from where I live.

I went to school last December with someone from this unit, he came to class one day to say he would be dropping out of the course as he would be getting shipped to Iraq.

I hope he was not injured in that attack on the convoy.

[cb88]

Originally Posted by odannyboy

He's from the 724th Transportation Bn. out of Bartonville, IL., only a few miles away from where I live.

I went to school last December with someone from this unit, he came to class one day to say he would be dropping out of the course as he would be getting shipped to Iraq.

I hope he was not injured in that attack on the convoy.

Danny, I'll say some extra prayers for him.

[Woodmonkey]

This poor guy is going to need a lot of prayers, as is his family. What a shame.