Arabiya TV Airs Videotape of 'American Hostage'

[UpInArms]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&s...

DUBAI (Reuters) - Dubai-based Al Arabiya television aired on Thursday what it said was a videotape showing an American engineer working for the Pentagon held hostage in Iraq.

The network said it had received the tape from a group calling itself The Islamic Rage Squadrons which said it had kidnapped the man on May 3. He was shown blindfolded with a checkered Arab scarf and wearing a jacket.

"My name is Aban Elias from Denver, Colorado," an Arabiya transcript quoted the man as saying.

"I am a civil engineer working in Baghdad...and we are working with the Pentagon... I was kidnapped and I call upon Muslim organizations to interfere to release me."

...more...

[Spentastic]

1. Well

Those torture pictures could well be the death of him.

Good going Bush and pals.

[Corgigal]

2. Sorry

Mr.Aban Elias from Denver, Colorado but you really have BAD timing.
I hope the Iraqi don't pull a solider of fortune on him. They have always been fair to our hostages, I hope they don't become us.

[rocktivity]

6. And here's hoping, Mr. Limbaugh,

that Elias' captors don't decide they need an "emotional release" and engage in a few "harmless fun frat-house pranks" with HIM!


rocknation

[LagaLover]

11. Always fair to our "hostages?"

Tell that to Col Rhonda Cornum...

[leftchick]

3. photo of hostage....

Dubai-based Al-Arabiya television broadcast footage of a blindfolded 'American' calling on Muslim religious leaders to free him from captivity in Iraq (news - web sites), but his speech and accent were strongly foreign.(AFP/Al-Arabiya)

[mbperrin]

5. Speech and accent strongly foreign? Well, maybe

at http://www.arabamerican.com/who\'swho.html

a person could find out that he's an Arab Coloradan. Scroll down the directory to find him.

Switchboard has him as 41 years old. I'd pretty well say take the quote marks off American.

[THUNDER HANDS]

4. okay, of all the arabic groups that have done stuff like this

This group has the coolest name.

The Islamic Rage Squadrons.

Damn!

[rocktivity]

7. You're right about the Islamic Rage Sqaudron, Magic Rat

What they should SHOULD do is from a hardcore band.

Which reminds me of what a member of the group Social Distortion said about the Columbine shootings--"If THAT'S the way those guys felt, why didn't they just start a band?"


rockanation

[Hegemony Cricket]

8. The IRS is now kidnapping people?

...*furiously reviews taxes*...

[hang a left]

9. kick

[Iceburg]

10. Family confirms identity but does not confirm "works for pentagon"

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4914840 /
Shown a photo of the purported hostage taken from the videotape by MSNBC.com, Kazwan Elias of Denver confirmed that the man is his brother, Aban, who has been working in Iraq since May.

“My name is Aban Elias from Denver, Colorado,” an Al Arabiya transcript quoted the man as saying. “I am a civil engineer working in Baghdad ... and we are working with the Pentagon. ... I was kidnapped and I call upon Muslim organizations to interfere to release me.”

Badly shocked by the photo, Kazwan Elias said he could not confirm that his brother had been working for the Pentagon in Iraq and was unable to provide any other information.