Baghdad, Iraq – A Shiite militant group has released a video of a kidnapped Iraqi-American soldier, the first time he has been seen alive since he was abducted four months ago in Baghdad, his uncle said Wednesday.
U.S. Army translator Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie, a 41-year-old reserve soldier who was born in Iraq and lives in Ann Arbor, Mich., was seized by gunmen on Oct. 23 while visiting his Iraqi wife’s family in the Karadah neighborhood of central Baghdad.
A previously unknown Shiite militant group called Ahl al-Bayt Brigades posted a 10-second video on the Internet on Tuesday showing al-Taayie with dark, short-cropped hair, unshaven and wearing a dark- green collared shirt, said SITE, a U.S. group that monitors extremist messages.
Al-Taayie’s eyes were downcast and his lips were moving as if he was reading aloud, SITE said Wednesday. Although the video carried no sound, SITE said the militants also issued a document, saying: “We warn the American people of the result of sending their soldiers to Iraq so they don’t face the same fate.”
The video was also broadcast Wednesday by CNN.
It was unclear when the video was made, but Entifadh Qanbar, al-Taayie’s uncle, said he had identified his nephew in it. The Associated Press could not immediately find the video in a search of militant websites.
Qanbar, who spoke to The Associated Press by telephone from Washington, said the video came in response to his insistence the kidnappers show him proof his nephew was still alive.
Qanbar said he and the kidnappers had exchanged e-mails for about a month until they cut off contact at the end of January. He said none of the e-mails repeated a demand made in the early days of the kidnapping for a $250,000 ransom.
Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, the chief U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, said the military was analyzing a copy of the video to ascertain its authenticity. U.S. Army spokesman Paul Boyce said in Washington that efforts were continuing to find al-Taayie.
“American and coalition forces in Iraq continue to work with the family overseas and the U.S. Army here in the United States continues to work with his relatives who are here in America,” Boyce said.
Al-Taayie was declared “duty status whereabouts unknown” by the Army after gunmen handcuffed and took him away, together with a cousin, during the family visit in Baghdad. The cousin was later released.
The U.S. government offered a $50,000 reward leading to al-Taayie’s recovery after a massive search operation turned up no solid leads.
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