Taliban video shows captured U.S. soldier

why cant this article say the name if its said by the guy himself in the video, and has been confirmed by inside sources?

“To my fellow Americans who have loved ones over here, who know what it’s like to miss them, you have the power to make our government bring them home,” he said. “Please, please bring us home so that we can be back where we belong and not over here, wasting our time and our lives and our precious life that we could be using back in our own country. Please bring us home. It is America and American people who have that power.”

What the hell happened to the Code of Conduct!? The Army not teach it any more!?

Don't be too hard on this guy and berate him for failing to observe the code of conduct. As John McCain pointed out in an interview once regarding his own "cooperation" with the North Vietnamese, every man (or woman) has his/her breaking point. Luckily, however, most of us never have to face situations where we are forced to make decisions regarding how far we will go in upholding traditions.

Furthermore, just a couple of points. It is very easy to criticize others when you, yourself, ain't at the tip of the spear. This applies to even people in the military. Working on aircraft or riding around in big gray war canoes is not the same as coming under irregular artillery barrages 24/7. And it is definitely not the same as lining up somebody and dropping them with a couple of high-powered rounds to the chest. It has to be remembered that this young chap has got himself in a whole world of trouble being held by a bunch of loonies whose favorite pastime is making home videos (featuring somebody being beheaded). As such, you cannot really blame this soldier for flapping big time.

Secondly, unfortunately it would seem that this guy is as good as dead. The Taliban might use him for a while to make propaganda videos, but sooner or later they will tire of him and......

Poor guy.

Hope taliban will do a hostage deal with the US soldier.

Total number of people killed in Iraq/Afghan war is 754,000 roughly or more based on lowest estimates .

It could be 1 million to 1.2 million or more casualties based on high estimates.

Total killed in afghanistan is 20,000 roughly and total killed in iraq is roughly 734,000. Just for a reminder on the cost of 911 wars.

Journalist killed in afghnaistan 6 and in Iraq is 163.

Contractors killed in Iraq is 933 and afghanistan is 75.

Non US coalition soldiers killed,in Iraq is 318 soldiers and afghanistan is 382 soldiers.

US soldiers killed in afghanistan 682 and in Iraq 4295.

Iraq civilians killed may be 698,000 low estimates or could be 1 million over according high estimate sources.

Iraq saddam regime soldiers casualties is 30,000 .

Taliban-al qaeda soldiers casulaties may 40,000 or more. Total injured in afghanistan is roughly 53,000 and injured in Iraq is 1,398,000.

How many civilians outside afghanistan/iraq killed by terrorists al qaeda-taliban and supporters since 911 may be 5000 or more just rough estimates ,of which 3017 were in World trade twin towers.

Recent casualties in jakarta hotels is 9 in Marriot/Ritz carlton towers,we can add 9 more.

911 wars,iraq war,afghan war,al qaeda wars and their casualties is very high,world need to do more to cut down casualties,injured casualties and elevate all other war sufferings caused by these wars.

rajakumar: I highly doubt this guy will be released. It's a sad fact, but I'm afraid the poor chap is not destined for a lengthy future. I HOPE he is too, though.

That is to say, as you, I hope for a hostage swap/deal.

timorborder

No way in hell we should 'take it easy' on this soldier. This "Army of One" has been a captive for a little over two weeks and he's already reached his breaking point at which he'll abandon the Code of Conduct and betray his country and his fellow servicemembers? If so the Army should re-evaluate its recruiting standards and whatever CofC training they provide.

As for your argument that this soldier is at the proverbial 'tip of the spear' so to speak so should be excused in someway is complete BS. The Code of Conduct should be applied to all service members regardless of their rank, rate, etc. but if anything more should be expected of this professional front-line soldier in upholding the CofC. Being an Army solider actually engaging the enemy directly in a combat zone you would expect the CofC to be a critical and very real aspect of his everyday life. But evidently not for this young man. BTW, a Marine colleage of mine just read this story and is shaking his head in disbelief...

USNinJapan2: The US military is stretched to the proverbial breaking point in terms of soldiers, and are taking just about anyone they can, from the sounds of it. There's no way their going to start screening people MORE rigorously to see if they might break under torture/interrogation; they're far more likely to be LESS rigorous in terms of requirements for accepting recruits.

I'm not saying I disagree with you, I'm just saying that your outrage is unlikely to be assuaged in the near future.

Regardless, I still feel sorry for the guy. C of C or no C of C, the guy's probably not going to come out of this alive, and it's yet another wasted life after so much has been wasted already.

Cowardly scumbag terrorists.

Nato servicemen should have cyanide for this kind of contingency.

smithinjapan

Of course I don't expect to improve Army (or DOD) recruiting standards but it still does make my blood boil when I see a uniformed service member (regardless of branch) who has sworn the same oath as I have do something like this. IF he ever gets out alive he should be tried by the UCMJ for making these statements. He's an embarassment to his fellow soldiers and the Army. Also, if his chances of survival are that dire and death at the hands of his captors is that certain, then wouldn't you accept your fate, do everything but cooperate with the enemy, and ensure that you go out an honorable patriot? I would, wouldn't you?

Sen. McCain said he signed a statement saying, "I am a war criminal; I bombed innocent women and children." McCain admitted this in a 60 Minutes interview.

I have absolutely no condemnation for McCain and have always had high regard for his behavior during his captivity. I have to laugh at anyone who can convince themselves of exactly what they would do in a similar situation. I guess if this kind of fantasy makes one feel like a hero they should join with any close Marine or anyone else who can share the fantasy. No one knows what they would do. We have people who comment on JT with actual combat experience. I would defer to them. I believe timorborder has extensive combat experience but I could be mistaken.

TALK IS CHEAP! Get a P.O.W. to condemn then I will listen. Unfortunately this is not the first time this issue has come up and I am getting to be an old man. I have seen P.O.W.'s comment on this but I have never seen one condemn others for a trivial unpatriotic statement like this.

USNinJapan2: "IF he ever gets out alive he should be tried by the UCMJ for making these statements."

First things first; let's see if the guy gets out alive.

"He's an embarassment to his fellow soldiers and the Army. Also, if his chances of survival are that dire and death at the hands of his captors is that certain, then wouldn't you accept your fate, do everything but cooperate with the enemy, and ensure that you go out an honorable patriot? I would, wouldn't you?"

I don't think I could say objectively and with any certainty what I'd do in that situation (I would never PUT myself in that situation, but if it DID somehow happen and I had sworn the oath you did), what they did to and/or held over me, etc. He sure doesn't look too roughed up, but who knows? Anyway, one more thing to keep in mind is that it's never been clarified as to how he was 'captured'. Remember that at first he was rumoured to have just walked off base unarmed and without appropriate support. Maybe you're right about the guy and he's a bit of a cook who doesn't believe in what he's doing (and hence broke quickly).

Again, though, let's worry about if the guy gets out with his head on or not, first.

He's the only sensible soldier in Afghanistan. If they all did what he did the war really would be over by Christmas. There is a higher authority than some silly rules devised by man and I am constantly amazed that so many Americans stand by these rules until exactly the time they are actually called upon to observe them and one of them is "Thou shalt not kill." Of all the soldiers I've seen on TV he, the coward as some say here, seems to me to be the most honest. Whether he will get out of it alive I can't say but I doubt if he'll be found wanting by his ultimate judge, something that can't be said of many of those commenting here.

USNinJapan2: "He's an embarrassment to his fellow soldiers and the Army."

I'm sure USNinJapan2 would give only his name, rank and serial number, no matter how much he was tortured. The man's under extreme duress, for cryin' out loud! I hope he returns home alive, in one piece, and is decorated for volunteering to risk his life on the behalf of the rest of us.

goodDonkey

How about you serve a day in uniform first. Then maybe you can talk about the standards to which we in the services expect to hold ourselves.

And McCain? Jesus, how about getting past the election already...

Sarge

I guess I was wrong in assuming that your moniker had anything to do with a prior military rank you may have held...

USNinJapan2 said:

How about you serve a day in uniform first.

You don't have to be in the service to understand many things related to the military. But since you bothered to bring it up, I was in the service. I was a Sgt.

USNinJapan2 said:

And McCain? Jesus, how about getting past the election already...

It had nothing to do with the election. I said I had respect for him concerning his behavior; logic might have suggested to you that I used hem as a perfect example of an honorable P.OW.. I guess it puts you into too precarious position to actually comment on him. McCain acted perfectly honorable. Look I have respect for you also. I have noticed that you are very knowledgeable on many subjects. I wrote about 5 different comments since I first noticed your initial comment and did not send them because I did not think I had found a way to be respectful to you. I could debate you on this for days but to what avail? Suffice it to say that I think I am being honest and realistic and I think you are being idealistic. I refuse to believe you or your marine friend do not have a breaking point that would render the same results. It is simply a matter of degree; a matter of how high is any given person's threshold. Why in the world would our very best, the best of the best, trained agents have needed to carry cyanide?

Sarge said:

The man's under extreme duress, for cryin' out loud! I hope he returns home alive, in one piece, and is decorated for volunteering to risk his life on the behalf of the rest of us.

Hear hear Sarge! By the way real men don't cry either and bears in the woods are infallible.

By the way USNinJapan2 I am not going to lose any respect for you on this issue. I have no doubt that your intentions are honorable and that it is actually true patriotism that motivates you.

Wait a minute. I hope I did not send a mixed message concerning Sarge's comment. The sarcasm was not meant against Sarge in any way. Let me try that again.

Sarge said:

The man's under extreme duress, for cryin' out loud! I hope he returns home alive, in one piece, and is decorated for volunteering to risk his life on the behalf of the rest of us.

I could not agree more.

Well, well, here's something that the goodDonkey and I agree on and that USNinJapan and I disagree on.

gD - I understood your first post perfectly. Could be because we held the same rank?

And, USNinJapan, really, there's nothing he said that is offensive. I mean, what soldier doesn't miss his family, and what American wishes for us to be in Afghanistan forever?

Despite only being held for 2 weeks, there is no indication of what sort of "enhanced interrogation techniques" this guy has been subject to. I know some really hard men (including one who ended up in the hands of Uncle Saddam during the Gulf War). To quote him, "you tend to have a different perspective on life when somebody has your xxxxs in a vice." I also know another guy who flunked out on a training course I was on. He was a real high flyer until they put him in a room for 4 days with nothing but white noise, sleep deprivation and stress positions. He threw in the towel and that was it. Anyway, it is pretty easy to make statements about your own toughness and ability to succeed in very stressful circumstances. Of course, all that goes out the window when you actually face the reality of such situations.