Free Republic

Special Ops Cody isn’t a regular GI, and he’s no ordinary Joe. Special Ops Cody is a star. The $39 action figure apparently kidnapped in an insurgent hoax to drum up American alarm has done well for himself: He’s selling on eBay anywhere from around $100 to more than $230, and he’s even scarce to be found downrange. A blurred photo posted on a Web site Tuesday by a group called the Mujahedeen Brigades was alleged to be military man John Adam, whom Iraqi insurgents pledged to behead if coalition-held prisoners weren’t released. The U.S. military, however, denied that a...

February 01, 2005 US GI hostage story and photo faked; MSM falls for it--again Looks like this was a fake, now that we've seen the photo, and kudos are due to A Small Victory, Wizbang and Free Republic for calling it. It looks like this was a GI Joe-type doll on sale on the internet. Note the face, plus the gun and the fact that you don't see anyone's hands in the photo. In addition, the Pentagon has verified that no soldiers are missing presently. Score another one for the new media, as the MSM gets scammed again. Posted by...

BAGHDAD, 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 posting, on a Web site that frequently carried militants' statements, included a photo of what appeared to be an American soldier in desert fatigues seated with his hands tied behind his back. A gun barrel was pointed at his head, and he is seated in front of a black banner emblazoned with the Islamic profession of faith, "There is no god but God and Muhammad is...

DUBAI (Reuters) - A little-known Iraqi insurgent group said on Tuesday it was holding a U.S. soldier and threatened to kill him within 72 hours if Iraqi prisoners were not released, according to an Internet statement. "Our mujahideen ... have managed to capture the American soldier John Adam after killing a number of his colleagues," said the Mujahideen Squadrons in the undated statement. It carried a picture appearing to show a U.S. soldier sitting in front of a black banner with a rifle pointed at his head. The authenticity of the claim, which did not say where the man was...

Guard dogs on commercial properties would be outlawed, towns could not legally stop people from feeding feral cats and a medical diagnosis would be required to euthanize an animal. Police would be trained to perform CPR on injured cats and dogs, and they would be the front line in animal abuse probes. Special teams of county prosecutors also would be created to handle the cases, much like they already do for child abuse, sex offenses and major crimes. These are just a few reforms being proposed by leaders of Gov. James E. McGreevey's Animal Welfare Task Force, a group charged...