At least they didn’t kidnap Barbie
typed for your pleasure on 1 February 2005, at 6.27 pmAmerican news sources are going out of their way to prove themselves to be reactionary idiots these days, but at least they’re passing the savings onto us.
Web Site Claims GI Captured in Iraq
Feb 1, 3:03 PM (ET)
By ROBERT H. REIDBAGHDAD, 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.”
Take a good look at that soldier there, the one with the ‘stiff and expressionless’ face. Take a good look. Now, have a look at this.
Now go have a look at that linked article before it’s pulled from the Internet.
My christ. When you’re letting stuff like this slip through your verification nets, why even bother with retaining a verification staff? Why not just change your name from Associated Press to The Onion and be done with it?
*singing* Someone’s gonna get fiiired..
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February 1st, 2005 at 6.46 pm
Yes but just think how happy Dan Rather will be tonight as he announces this one. Facts-checking? We don’t need no steenking fact-checking.
February 1st, 2005 at 11.45 pm
Everytime I see that picture, I giggle. Cos I keep picturing two guys — who may or may not even be Iraqi; we can’t confirm that — taking one of the Dragon ‘Special Ops’ dolls, setting him up in front of a scale-model banner, and taking a pic, while just off-camera, one of them holds the rifle with two fingers.
‘Wait ’til I edit it in Photoshop, then it’ll look really great,’ the cameraman laughs.
US news source credibility rating status = PLUMMETING
February 2nd, 2005 at 10.09 am
Heh – you saw this before I did.
First they kill our men, then they kidnap our toys – it’s madness.
February 2nd, 2005 at 2.24 pm
*sniff* I hope.. I hope that nothing horrible happens to Cody, and they can rescue him in time. *sniffle*
COME BACK SOON, CODY