Earlier today I heard a news report that some website used by insurgents in Iraq claimed to have kidnapped an American soldier. They put a picture of him up and threatened to behead him in 72 hours if prisoners taken in Iraq were not released. Pretty chilling situation to be sure.

Well, now it appears there's a good chance that the "individual" shown in that photograph is probably an action figure! Here's the AP story about it. What in the world is up with that? Now they are kidnapping dolls? Who's next, Barbie? The US Military is reporting that there are no soldiers missing at this time by the way.

So, the question for debate is.......





Assuming this is indeed a hoax, what does it mean? Does it mean the insurgents are getting desperate and seeking attention to keep their "cause" alive? Or does it mean something else or nothing at all?

Assuming this is indeed a hoax, what does it mean? Does it mean the insurgents are getting desperate and seeking attention to keep their "cause" alive? Or does it mean something else or nothing at all?

There is nothing in the article to suggest it is an action figure. Just that he is "stiff and expressionless". To me, it looks like a dead body with a mismatched head on it. The head's too small for the body. Weird. I think all this means is that there is a small, not very powerful group who wants in on a little "insurgent" action. The "insurgents" aren't terribly well-organized, with the exception of Zarqawi's evil bunch. It's just more of the same ol' same ol'.

Actually, there is. If you click on the photograph on the right hand side, it talks about the resemblence there. Apparently this action figure is named "Cody" and has been sold in Kuwait.


They've updated the article linked, so here's a direct link to the picture I referenced above.....

Picture and caption

Here is a Link to the picture in question.

There is information there as well.

As best as I can tell, there are no missing US military men at this time. This would seem to support the action figure theory. Also, that gun in the picture is quite obviously not real. And, since there is no had at the trigger or the pistol grip you have to wonder how someone was holding it by the stock like that and what good it would do if it was held that way and was real.

Here is a Link to the page that image is from.

Well, I guess it's good news that this is a hoax and not a real hostage. I wouldn't draw any inferences about insurgents being more or less desparate, but it certainly is weird.

Wait - this just in. They got Elmo too!

Assuming this is indeed a hoax, what does it mean? Does it mean the insurgents are getting desperate and seeking attention to keep their "cause" alive? Or does it mean something else or nothing at all?

It shows a cynical lack of respect on their part, and a willingness to ridicule those who actually care about hostages. I think the insurgents were desperate to begin with, and this does nothing to help their cause.

I'm glad it has been exposed for the hoax that it is.

"We were warned that Bush would turn Iraq into a puppet regime, but none of us suspected that he’d use actual puppets."

Between the election and fake kidnapping, I'd say the "insurgents" aren't having their best week.

Assuming this is indeed a hoax, what does it mean? Does it mean the insurgents are getting desperate and seeking attention to keep their "cause" alive? Or does it mean something else or nothing at all? It means that along with a lot of their claims there is no substance.

The people that are behind this and other acts have learned from the "Joseph Goebbels" school of information that the more one lies the more people will believe that lie, no matter how ridiculous and insane the matter. The bigger the lie the bigger the audience

OK, it is an action figure. Pretty lame. I still say it's some wanna-be insurgents going after attention - which they got.

Truer words were never spoken.

That is, if the lie is not easily exposed as an obvious untruth...

Assuming this is indeed a hoax, what does it mean? Does it mean the insurgents are getting desperate and seeking attention to keep their "cause" alive? Or does it mean something else or nothing at all?

The insurgents are desperate. Their ability to invoke fear in the populace has waned, which means their power base has waned. A terrorist who does not inspire fear is out of business.

That does not mean that the insurgency is over. It simply means that the terror tactic of kidnappings/beheadings (which was, after all, quite powerful) is harder to actually accomplish.

OR the entire thing is a hoax implemented by the US government (or New World Order) to try and make the insurgents look 'stoopid'.

Incidentally, why on earth are small toy figures on sale in US military bases?

The selling of toys and other sundry items on bases is usually a decision made by AAFES (Army and Air Force Exchange Service). I couldn't of course tell you the exact reason, but many deployed soldiers like to be able to send items back to their loved ones. The 'action figure' type item is fairly popular, something akin to showing little Johnny or Susie what Daddy (or Mommy) is dressed like in Iraq. Soldiers are also known to collect them and customize to their particular unit and make something of a mascot out of them.

Incidently, I think the insurgents are doing a fine job of looking stoopid on their own.......and our Psyops guys have to be a bit busy already, instead of videoing action figures. Just my .02.

Assuming this is indeed a hoax, what does it mean? Does it mean the insurgents are getting desperate and seeking attention to keep their "cause" alive? Or does it mean something else or nothing at all?

Deconstructionist art project? Anarcho-terrorist commentary on consumerism? Practical joke on the world media?

What does this canard prove? Umm.... that terrorists (or would-be/wanna-be terrorists) can get news headlines even if it's a GI Joe doll in the picture. If this doesn't prove they have a forum, I don't know what does. It was an interesting experiment that proved what they likely already knew: the US will eat this *expletive* up.

Assuming this is indeed a hoax, what does it mean? Does it mean the insurgents are getting desperate and seeking attention to keep their "cause" alive? Or does it mean something else or nothing at all?

I've been thinking over the entire incident and it occurs to me there is another possible explanation, that has nothing to do with real insurgents.

We know from the original article starting this thread that the statement and picture showed up as a "posting, on a Web site that frequently carried militants' statements." Perhaps this website is much more akin to something like our own forum here on America's Debate. The website may be some sort of Islamist forum board run by persons sympathetic to the insurgents and/or the general Islamic Jihad movement. We know from the Associated Press article that the site frequently carries statements and material from militant's groups, but there is no way to truly authenticate the identity of who is posting what.

If this is so... might all of this just be a silly hoax or fun carried out by someone who wanted to make a joke out of it? And signed the name "Mujahedeen Brigades" to the posting to attribute it to someone else?

The real "Mujahedeen Brigades" claimed responsibility for two kidnappings in the past, one in connection with another group, the Ansar al-Sunnah Army. Perhaps the poster was trying to make fun of that group, or discredit them, anticipating that U.S. Intelligence would easily figure out that this was just a plastic miniaturized doll with its own plastic M4A2 carbine pointed at its head to parody the usual staged Jihadi hostage picture. Or perhaps the poster had no intentions to discredit any particular group, but just wanted to have fun with their idea/creation.

Whatever the case, I find that idea more plausible than a real insurgent group putting this hoax together. The real insurgents are resourceful, dedicated, and organized; a serious threat. I don't think they would do something so silly, that would be so easily exposed and so quickly backfire into making them look like fools.

As an afterthought, I suspect members of the real "Mujahedeen Brigades" are probably upset by this incident if the whole thing is getting as much press over there as it got over here, since they were the ones made to look like fools by the poster who fabricated the hoax.


It is amazing how quickly our own media will react to something and publicize it before investigating a bit more thoroughly; you would think anyone seeing the photograph would immediately sense something amiss and look a little bit closer before taking the bait.

True, Very True DTOM! Also, Sailors, Soldiers and Airman are known to buy candy, toys and other small luxuries to keep on hand to give to the local children the come across from day to day.


BTW, for the folks that were at the Forum Chat last night, as you can see from the time stamp on this post ('ve been home for a little over an hour ), I made it home from my road trip for work in record time. I saved ALOT of time driving through that corn field or whatever it was.