CAIRO, Egypt, Sept. 14, 2007
"Propaganda Video" Of Dead GI Released
Terrorism Experts Say It Shows Body Of U.S. Pilot Killed In Iraq Last Year
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Air Force Maj. Troy L. Gilbert, seen here in an undated photo, was killed in 2006 in Iraq. Terror experts working for the U.S. government say his body is seen in a video released Sept. 13, 2007, by an al Qaeda-linked group. (AP Photo/U.S. Air Force)
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This scene from a video attributed to an al Qaeda-linked group, showing a U.S. pilot killed in Iraq last year, has English subtitles added to hammer home a propaganda message about the war. (AP Photo/IntelCenter)
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The video, more than 11 minutes long with English subtitles, was first obtained by
IntelCenter says the video, released Thursday, bears the insignia of the Islamic State of Iraq, an al Qaeda front group, and its al-Furqan media production wing.
Entitled "The Missing," the video shows the ID card photograph of Air Force pilot Maj. Troy L. Gilbert, whose F-16CG crashed Nov. 27, 2006, some 20 miles northwest of Baghdad.
It also shows the pilot's body laid out on a plastic sheet in Air Force uniform, although his face is not shown, said Ben Venzke, head of IntelCenter. It was not immediately clear if the body was filmed at the crash site or elsewhere, Venzke said.
The U.S. military initially listed Gilbert as missing but later confirmed his death.
U.S. forces who investigated the crash have said insurgents reached the site before American forces could. At the time, video footage obtained by AP Television News showed what appeared to be the wreckage of his plane in a field and a tangled parachute nearby.
Venzke said there is no doubt the body and aircraft in the militant video obtained Thursday belonged to the U.S. pilot.
"They went to an extra effort to make the video accessible to Americans and the English-speaking world," Venzke said, referring to the video's English subtitles. "It's essentially a propaganda piece and criticism of U.S. involvement in Iraq."
The video contains a message to the American people and two clips, one from Osama bin Laden and a video of Abu Yahia al-Libi, the al Qaeda commander who escaped from a U.S. prison in Afghanistan, Venzke said.
Both of these clips are believed to be old, but IntelCenter has not confirmed that. The video also includes an audio clip of Omar al-Baghdadi, who heads the Islamic State in Iraq, according to Venzke.
When Gilbert's death was announced, the Air Force declined to say whether his body had been recovered, saying only that some remains had been found. Those remains likely enabled Gilbert's subsequent identification.
Gilbert was assigned to the 309th Fighter Squadron. He is survived by wife and five children, who live outside Phoenix.
© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Add a Comment See all 47 Comments
- Well, as long as Bush and Cheney''s loved ones are not fighting wars and are not in harm''s way, they really do not care who is dying. Only misguided Americans think they are fighting for America.
- Reply to this comment
- "When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag carrying the Cross"
--- Sinclair Lewis - Reply to this comment
- global_chick --- There is a major diference between wars we should be engaging in & Bush''s Iraq War of Roses, the war we didn''t need to fight.
,,, Bush/Cheney say''s it''s a war to change the Middle East ???? ----- Guess what ??? -- Others tried that also - It didn''t work
The war made possible for us the solution of a whole series of problems that could never have been solved in normal times.
--- Dr. Joseph Goebbels - Reply to this comment
- global_chick,,,, Stop spinning what I told you --- It''s not honorable to our troops nor a good Christian family value
- Reply to this comment
- Whatever surfkat. Maybe it''s the fact that you realize I am right and you are wrong, that I am a patriot and you are a left-wing nut job who believes that wars should never be fought.
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- global_chik: "debating" you is a bit too much like shooting fish in a barrel. too much for my conscience to handle lol
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- jwhitman, you have no clue, and frankly, your comments are extremely insulting to the men and women of our military. They are not dumb, mute, brainless fools who were coerced or forced into service without knowing the risks or dangers of war. They made a conscious choice to enlist. Don''t spit on them or question their intelligence by insinuating that they were somehow duped by Bush, Cheney or anyone else.
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- See ya''ll later,, this is distracting me from the news.
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- global_chick,,,, Bush is in Quantico, Va. today lying to our Marines about progress.
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- global_chick,,,, You love the military ???? ---- Then learn what "Support The Troops" actually means..
.. A President & Vice President who continously uses them as photo props to support hier failed policies & lies every time they are in front of them or a camera dishonors our troops & every American alive. - Reply to this comment
- global_chik: i already made my intelligent comment a while back, thank you. but i was peeved that while j-whitman was behaving like a perfect gentleman, you chose to insult him. correct me if i''m wrong, but you don''t even know this man hence, your remarks were really unwarranted and yes, just dumb. and treehugger doesn''t mean what you think it does ... but it''s pretty easy to spot them because they make up screen names using words like "global" and "chick." now, i''m bored with you. goodbye
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- As far as tree hugger -- that is the stupidest line I have ever heard, not to mention 180 degrees from who I am. Since I love the military and the soldiers who serve, I am anything but a tree hugger. Tree huggers believe we can actually work things out diplomatically with terrorists. War can be both good and necessary.
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- surkat, try making an intelligent argument instead of attacking me with your bizarre posts. By the way, I have never seen the movie you''re talking about. Nice try.
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- "global_chik" your comment to j-whitman was way out of line. on top of that, it was just dumb. and as far as your "pond scum" reference, i know you stole it from julia roberts in "my best friend''s wedding." think before you write, tree-hugger. the face you save could be your own.
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- global_chick,,,, I didn''t catch who you where talking about,,, I think you where making a generalization that isn''t accurate.
.. As far as concept of dignity and honor --- I retired from the military & my son in law is a career Marine on his 3rd hitch ----- So don''t preach to me on what the concept of dignity and honor is. - Reply to this comment
- i''m a conservative and yes, i read and believe in the Bible. but that doesn''t make me a war-monger or fascist. even though i support our troops, i think our president has made tons of mistakes and that most of what is going on in our government at this time is ineffective, at best. but reading through all these posts, with all this "right-wing left-wing" bashing and accusations basically drives home what i believe is an enormous problem really with our government ... both parties have gone so far off the map, neither really represents anyone anymore. i think bush is doing a terrible job, and i really despise his lack of diplomacy, but the alternative was john kerry. it''s sad when your vote is based on the lesser of the two evils, or even worse, voting along party lines only. i''d rather vote for a candidate i trust to represent the best interests of my country, regardless of party. i''m sure reagan is rolling over in his grave.
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- jwhitman, get a life. I am familiar with this family and there was no forcing whatsoever. Again, think before you speak. This man had more class, dignity and patriotism in his little finger than you have in your whole d-- body. Unfortunately, because you cannot grasp the concept of dignity and honor, it is impossible for you to understand that these men and women are putting their lives on the line because they love their country and they CHOOSE to do it.
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- global_chick,,,, Pound scum ? That''s the 1st time I heard that, kinda cute.
.. As for anyone being forced into service.. It''s in your preception of force,
, Many enter for education they wouldn''t have access to otherwise, some out of extreme debt.. Some enter to escape criminal persecution or even because of gangster mentality or long term gang associations
,, In any case the reasons for enlisting is not always patriotic, but that doesn''t slight thier duty.- - Reply to this comment
- seven-pesos: the south doesn''t know how to win wars? remember the alamo, amigo?
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- grazing goat, did you not read my post?? This man was not forced into service, nor was ANYONE who is in Iraq or Afghanistan. Like every other left wing nut job, you hate the military and the soldiers who give their time and often their lives to save your sorry a---. Why don''t you think before you speak?
- Reply to this comment
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