Someone really ought to set this to music. A group in Iraq releases a photo of a claimed US soldier who they will behead in 72 hours. AP, CNN and the rest report it straight. Keen eyed readers point out that it is, in fact, a photo of a doll….a version of an Action Man type figure. Gerhard at American Digest has the full timeline and is well worth the visit.
Jihad Watch adds further well informed commentary.

Update: As advised in the comments, The Guardian falls for it hook line and sinker. Their full article in the extended section.

Rory McCarthy in Baghdad
Wednesday February  2, 2005
The Guardian

   A
militant group in Iraq claimed last night to have kidnapped an American
soldier and threatened to kill him if Iraqi prisoners were not released
within 72 hours.

The
group posted on the internet what appeared to be a photograph of a
soldier sitting in front of a black banner with a gun pointed at his
head.

A
statement posted with the picture said a number of other soldiers were
killed when the hostage was kidnapped and suggested the group was
holding other soldiers. The group did not say where the incident
happened and there was no independent confirmation of the kidnapping.

"Our
mujahideen heroes of Iraq’s Jihadi Battalion were able to capture
American military man John Adam after killing a number of his comrades
and capturing the rest," a group calling itself the Mujahideen
Squadrons said in a statement. "God willing, we will behead him if our
female and male prisoners are not released from US prisons within the
maximum period of 72 hours from the time this state ment has been
released," the statement said.

The
US military said yesterday that no American soldiers had been reported
missing in Iraq. "No units have reported anyone missing," said Staff
Sergeant Nick Minecci in Baghdad.

The
Mujahideen Squadrons is not known as one of the major insurgent groups
operating in Iraq. However, a group using that name last month claimed
responsibility for kidnapping a Brazilian engineer who is known to have
gone missing after an ambush north of Baghdad.

Militants
in Iraq have rarely kidnapped American soldiers before, instead usually
targeting westerners working as contractors or journalists. The only
American soldier known to have been taken hostage is Keith Maupin, 20,
of Batavia, Ohio, who was shown in a video in April being held by
militants. Another video in June showed what purported to be his
murder, but the military still lists him as missing.

 More
than 100 foreigners have been kidnapped in Iraq in the past year and
although many have been released, more than 30 have been murdered.