Taliban Seize U.S. Soldier in Afghanistan

Military Confirms One Serviceman Missing For 3 Days; Militants Say They May Consider Prisoner Swap

(CBS/AP)  An American soldier is feared captured by insurgents after he walked off his base in eastern Afghanistan without his body armor and weapon, officials said Thursday.

The military has intercepted communications in which insurgents talked about holding an American, one U.S. official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record.

A Taliban commander confirmed to CBS News' Sami Yousafzai Thursday that militants had captured one U.S. soldier and three Afghan nationals in Paktika province, near the Pakistani border.

The Taliban commander, who spoke to Yousafzai via satellite telephone from the region, said a group of militants cornered the American soldier and his Afghan counterparts near a U.S. military base and took them hostage.

He said the captives' fate would be decided by Taliban leaders, but that the Islamic extremist group would consider a prisoner swap.

"The case will be referred to Sirajuddin Haqqani (senior Taliban commander in Afghanistan) and other Taliban top leadership. They have to decide the future of the U.S. soldier, but we would not mind a prisoner exchange in this case," the commander told CBS News.

Paktika province sits along Afghanistan's eastern border with Pakistan. The kidnapping comes just as some 4,000 U.S. Marines begin a massive offensive operation in the southern Helmand province to clear the Taliban stronghold of militants.

The military was largely silent about details surrounding the kidnapping, believed the first such abduction of a U.S. service member in the nearly eight-year-old war.

But CBS News has learned that not long after the soldier disappeared, U.S. intelligence picked up radio chatter that he had been kidnapped. U.S. officials know he's already been sold to another group of Afghans - but no direct contact has been made with the kidnappers.

"We are not providing further details to protect the soldier's well-being," said Capt. Elizabeth Mathias, a spokeswoman in Afghanistan. Officials would not release his name, rank or other details.

"We understand him to have been captured by militant forces," Mathias said. "We have all available resources out there looking for him and hopefully providing for his safe return."

According to information on GlobalSecurity.org, the U.S. military operates a Forward Operating Base in Paktika called Orgun-E, which "dramatically expanded in size" in recent years.

Prior to the expansion, the base was home to about 400 U.S. soldiers in 2003, according to GlobalSecurity.org. Orgun-E is said to be one of about a half-dozen such Forward Operating Bases maintained by the U.S. military along Afghanistan's mountainous eastern border with Pakistan.

A senior Taliban commander later publicly claimed responsibility for the kidnapping in statements to other media. CBS News' Khaled Wassef reports that the commander, Mullah Sangeen Zadran, is known to be affiliated with the group's commander in Afghanistan, Haqqani. Zadran is thought to be in charge of Paktika province.

Wassef reports that Zadran was reportedly targeted in two U.S. drone attacks in Pakistan's tribal areas last month. Some reports released on June 24 suggested that he had been killed during a missile attack targeting a group of Taliban commanders, including the head of the group's Pakistan branch Baitullah Mehsud, as they attended a funeral in South Waziristan.

Zardan denied reports of his death in the attack in telephone calls with a number of news agencies. He told Pakistani paper, The News, that he neither travelled to South Waziristan to attend the funeral nor suffered any harm. He added that he would soon issue a video statement to prove that he was safe.

No such video has been released thus far.

U.S. troops were brought in from nearby areas to help with the search for the missing solidier, which included helicopters, Afghan Army support and increased use of intelligence gathering resources, officials said.

The soldier was noticed missing during a routine check of the unit on Tuesday and was first listed as "duty status whereabouts unknown," a U.S. defense official said on condition of anonymity.

Though he was missing, his body armor and weapon were found on the base, two officials said.

It wasn't until Thursday that officials said publicly that he was missing and described him as "believed captured." Details of such incidents are routinely held very tightly by the military as it works to retrieve a missing or captured soldier without giving away any information to captors.

Initial reports indicated that the soldier was off duty at the time he went missing, having just completed a shift, one of the officials said.

Two U.S. defense sources said the soldier "just walked off" post with three Afghans after he finished working. They said they had no explanation for why he left the base.

The missing man is an enlisted soldier serving in an Army infantry unit, and his family has been notified he is missing.

A number of civilians have been abducted in Afghanistan including aid workers and journalists - both foreigners and Afghans.

But the only other service member that officials could recall who had been captured was Petty Officer 1st class Neil C. Roberts, a 32-year-old Navy SEAL who was captured during a battle.

Roberts fell from a Chinook and was captured and killed by al Qaeda just months after the start of the war, in March 2002. Later, a second helicopter returned under fire and dropped troops near where Roberts fell. Six more Americans died in the fighting.

[thinkrealistic]

Okay ladies and gentlemen let's try and please be realistic here for a moment. First we have to understand that the probability of the soldier living is slim to none. Since the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan they have never willingly turned over any prisoner. Our display of arrogance is tremendous in regards to Afghanistan. Let's rewind the clock to the past when the Russians occupied Afghanistan. During the Russian occupation they have very sophisticated technology and weaponry, but after 10 years they departed leaving billions of dollars worth of equipment of behind. They couldn't beat the highly skilled and terrain knowledgeable Taliban. Why couldn't they be beat and were trained so well? I guess that would be because the same force that's trying to remove them now put them there in the first place. The Taliban is a product of our government inserted to fight against the Russians. Today we find ourselves not any further then we were when the invasion began. The only way to get ahead there is to reach out to the people and provide them some of the things to better their quality of life then we'll stand a chance if they stand against their own. We have destruction still in New Orleans, crime at an all-time high, a 3rd world health care system, and more that's broken and could use the dollars that are being spent there. Also if you aren't aware many of those dollars are being borrowed from China. The best resource of info is now at most of our fingertips, internet! Read the history of the area and discover what's under the soil that would make two of the most powerful countries show interest in a place that has nothing of surface value other than poppy. There a fine link between Russia, Afghanistan, and Europe. Learn what cause our Iraqi counterpart to turn his back on America. Here's a hint: things started going downhill with the Iran-Iraq war. Remember an open mind, education, and being out of the bow will often show you the path to the yellow brick road!

[mpsoldiermom]

This is a very sensitive subject for me, my son is in Paktika, has been since mid 2008. It is remote, run-down, and dangerous there. The units "are" training the afghan army and border patrol to step-up their defences to take over protecting their own country. What we see on the news and internet is just twisted pieces of what is going on over there. Taliban like to set-up situations in which many Afghan civilians are killed and made to look like the US troops are responsible, they are ruthless (The Taliban). Yes, there are times when its either kill or be killed and civilians refuse to leave areas or cooperate with the troops and unfortunately people get caught in the cross fire, they are Taliban initiated. Anyone that is sitting at home can judge this young man for leaving the base but without being in shoes and mental state, I think they do not have a right. These soldiers are overworked, stressed, underfed, and are only given a few hours of sleep a night, most of them have not had an R & R like my son, how would we feel? My sons unit and many others nearby have been searching for this guy and yes they are a bit frustrated that now so many lives are being put in jeopardy to try and find him but he is still one of them. I feel bad for his parents, I cannot imagine what they are going through, I know how hard it has been on me, knowing what my kid is involved in over there, just seems unreal at times. Lets give these guys some respect.

[Homeofthebrave22]

I entered this site to learn the fate of one of our own who is going through unknown terror we couldn't fathom only to be shocked and disheartened at the comments I saw. It is clear that the books and media citations you comment on are not giving you the full story to speak on Afghanistan and what the military is doing over there. We are not terrorizing and randomly killing the citizens nor are we invading a country. I was there this time last year and I was a part of the operation that is helping a nation stand on their own feet after years of oppression. They want us there. They appreciate our help. We are training their army and police force on how to maitain their stronghold of their country and force out the taliban-who are not Afghans but a radical group praying on a meek nation.
I was in a convoy in the same region as this soldier was captured traveling from one FOB to another when we got ambushed. We did not envoke this attack but because we are a threat to the Taliban for strengthening the Afhgans they will attack us any chance they can.
I have lost two of my men and sent several home wounded but we will all tell you that our purpose over there is legit and essential in protection of not only America but the free world. American soldiers are not alone as we work side by side with several other nations in an effort to help the Afghani people.
God be with our Army brother regardless of the circumstances of his capture and my he never know we weren't all standing behind him.

[USMCfightforothers]

For those of you who have forgotten America is at war, we are not at the mall or the movies. War is never a pleasant thing and many suffer on both sides of the battle field.

For people to say that American fighting men overseas are the same as terrorists is uncommprehendable to me. We fight so others won't have too, we fight so the Stars and Stripes fly free, we fight so that our children and their children can grow up with freedom not fear.

We as As Americas fighting force, do not conduct ourselves like those coward terrorists: we do not fire from mosques - they do, we do not fire our weapons from a crowded school - they do, we do not engage from behind a crowd of civilians - they do, we have rules of engagement - they engage without care of colatoral damage.

Wake up America! One of our own has been captured! one who has stood at the tip of the spear for his country! He my brother in arms has fought for you the people - now figh for him.

[USCMmissKING1901]

i cannot believe the negative comments against the UNITED STATES OF AMERICAN MILITARY! we sign on the dotted line to PROTECT AND SERVE! we risk our lives EVERYDAY away from our families for month at a time so ignorant people can sit online and bash what we do FOR YOU!and for one of our brothers to be in the situation that he is now and you people are sitting here talking down about the military and bla bla bla bla??? hey guess what you live in AMERICA! if you don't like it so much you need to leave! "UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL!" i cant believe how many ungrateful "Americans" there are, and to have the audacity you have to be so disrespectful is uncanny!

as for the whole 'point' you are trying to make that we do the same thing we torture the poor terrorists you've got be kidding me right? are your really comparing the two? we do it because we HAVE to! we save lives doing that! we save YOUR life doing the tings we do! we just don't say hrmmm that looks like a good one lets get him! this is quite ridiculous! if i were you I'd not only be embarrassed but ashamed to call yourself an American!

and yet i signed my name on the dotted line. i signed TO PROTECT AND SERVE even ignorant Americans like yourself, because I LOVE THE UNTIED STATES OF AMERICA and I'm PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!

and my heart goes out there to my brother that has been captured...BROTHERS GRIMM always and forever OOO-RAHH

[USMCfightforothers]

Are you people for real? Have any of you ever served one day of your lfe in uniform for your country? An AMERICAN WAS TAKEN PRISONER!!! It doesn't matter how it happened what matters is that it did happen. Now free citizens of the US of A are trying to compare him to terrorists? Wake up America you are free, you are celibrating National Independance on the 4th of July because of my brothers in arms who have been fighting for this country since 1775! We bleed and die so you the people can sleep in peace at night.

[USCMmissKING1901]

i cannot believe the negative comments against the UNITED STATES OF AMERICAN MILITARY! we sign on the dotted line to PROTECT AND SERVE! we risk our lives EVERYDAY away from our families for month at a time so ignorant people can sit online and bash what we do FOR YOU!and for one of our brothers to be in the situation that he is now and you people are sitting here talking down about the military and bla bla bla bla??? hey guess what you live in AMERICA! if you don't like it so much you need to leave! "UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL!" i cant believe how many ungrateful "Americans" there are, and to have the audacity you have to be so disrespectful is uncanny!

as for the whole 'point' you are trying to make that we do the same thing we torcher the poor terrorists you've got be kidding me right? are your really comparing the two? we do it because we HAVE to! we save lives doing that! we save YOUR life doing the tings we do! we just don't say hrmmm that looks like a good one lets get him! this is quite ridiculous! if i were you I'd not only be embarrassed but ashamed to call yourself an American!

and yet i signed my name on the dotted line. i signed TO PROTECT AND SERVE even ignorant Americans like yourself, because I LOVE THE UNTIED STATES OF AMERICA and I'm PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!

and my heart goes out there to my brother that has been captured...BROTHERS GRIMM always and forever OOO-RAHH

[USMCfightforothers]

Are you people for real? Have any of you ever served one day of your lfe in uniform for your country? An AMERICAN WAS TAKEN PRISONER!!! It doesn't matter how it happened what matters is that it did happen. Now free citizens of the US of A are trying to compare him to terrorists? Wake up America you are free, you are celibrating National Independance on the 4th of July because of my brothers in arms who have been fighting for this country since 1775! We bleed and die so you the people can sleep in peace at night.

[4everpatriotic]

By the way, the reason why your gas prices have not fallen because of invading Iraq is because you ****ed it up! By Hower4
Hey there you got that right, if America were truly the monster you want to portray it as every home in Iraq would be flying the good ol red white and blue and near every oil field would be a Texas Road House:) the American troops there could be passing out free gas flyers instead of fresh food and water to the civilians who were left to starve by thier own countrymen.

[tautomer]

by hower4 July 2, 2009 8:27 AM PDT So you think the individual soldiers aren't responsible for torturing or shooting bound prisoners in the back of the head?
_________________________________________________________________________

Yeah, John Kerry did it in Vietnam all the time. He'd have his men hold some villager still while he shot him in the face at point blank range.

[underdogus09]

As two young American women journalists languish in a North Korean labor camp, Obama entertains at the White House, eats $100 steaks, bankrupts the country, plans the final solution for the Jewish people, sanctions unspeakable crimes against humanity in Iran, dashes off to NYC with Meesh for $100,000 dinner and show, destroys health care, education and energy and he is absent on North Korea.

[gravyboat4000]

Wow, you're like a Rush Limbaugh Jr.

Have you ever told the truth about anything?

[Illuminated1]

The two young women who were kidnapped (I mean detained) knew what dangers they were volunteering for...
The President is in as much if not more danger than they for just being a minority in this country.
The attacks against Obama have mostly been critical of his ability to lead, I say you are out of line.
He didn't destroy healthcare, the doctors of this nation have.
He didn't destroy education, the bickering since I was a child has.
He certainly was not "absent" on North Korea, the ship carrying illegal weapons now has turned homebound as the USS John McCain lurks by.

[Rayski5]

For people that still believe that we shouldn't be involved with the war is beyond me. As much as I would love to believe that we can all live in a perfect and loving world, that will never be the case. As long as there are people like Osama and his kind(Crazies), we won't ever be able to live in peace. I rather see 3K dead Talibans than 3K dead citizens of any country. We do have to cut down on the frendly fire and continue to combat these jihadist. We didn't start this but will more than happy to finish it and I think i speak for most Muslim that would also like to see the end of this Taliban reign. Barrack is doing the right thing by setting the stage for the end of this war. We need the support of all the Muslims country when it comes to Afghanistan and it seems like we do. So in closing, support your troops and remember, 2 Presidents can't be wrong on this war, maybe you are.

[TNisgoodenoughforme]

Yes! Finally someone understands

[nofoolling]

Two bought and paid for Presidents supporting the folks that bought their presidencies is not the same as being correct about an immoral war.

The people they would have us be afraid of have never been a threat to us.

The real threat is the folks that want to make enormous profits by killing humans; and they will blow up bldgs in New York or anywhere if it promotes their endless war for endless profit bloodmoney scheme.

We should be afraid, afraid of the likes of the Bush/Cheney/Obama crime syndicate, the real terrorists.

And they've made a real killing, literally. Billions of dollars in profits and a million dead humans.

[Illuminated1]

As much as I have in common with your sentiment, I'm not convinced that Obama qualifies as status with regards to the criminals Bush and Cheney.

I do agree with the rest of your post.

To add a spin to it....there was at one time a party called the democratic-republican party....which interestingly split up....I wonder if that party is secretly in place which explains all non criminal prosecutions of the former administration. Remember that Pelosi stated publicly against the will of many Americans demanding impeachment procedings.

[nofoolling]

We did not win the Iraq war, we ran away with our tails between our legs in total embarassment and totally humiliated for being stupid enough to believe the lies told by the Bush/Cheney crime syndicate.

This latest episode of "Warring for Dollars" is brought to us courtesy of Darth the Cheney, God of Invented War and his evil henchman who are still calling the shots and more than eager to sacrifice your children on the altar of greed.

[mysteriousjz]

As much as I am soft-hearted, I feel not a pinch if he is killed, maimed, mutilated, tortured or anything. Thousands and thousands of people of the mudhouses have been killed, maimed, and are in pain; they live in constant terror not knowing when the next 2000# bomb or missles would fall on their mudhouses burning their women and children alive.

There are two sides of the equation. They still have to go a long way to equal the big satan side of the equation. So, it continues.....waitng for the next bang......

[TNisgoodenoughforme]

This soldier is fighting for those people you are talking about. You soft hearted? No these soldiers are the ones who are soft heart. They put their liveson the line for unthankful people like you. The Marines are fight along side the Afgan's they are wanted there to help get that country in shape. I wish they would bring back the draft. Instead we have men & women volunteering to fight to help. You people sure enjoy your freedom, too bad you are to chicken to fight for it.
"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem."
--President Ronald Reagan, 1985

[nofoolling]

After reading these posts I'm convinced alot of you are so deluded it borders on the pathetic. Your continued flag waving and chest pounding in the face of known facts is beyond stupidity.

This war was planned and carried out by Darth the Cheney, God of Invented War and his evil henchman in the Bush/Cheney crime syndicate who demolished the twin-towers in a black-ops scheme to make Americans hate the folks in the Middle-East allowing a rationalization to condone invading a foreign country for the purpose of securing the oil rights and lining the coffers of the military industrial killing complex of companies and to make the folks in the Middle-East hate us for invading their countries and slaughtering their women and children.

Presto, instant war. Endless war for endless profit.

And you folks have bought it hook, line, and sinker.

WMD, WMD, WMD, the sky is falling. No wait, we're spreading freedom by slaughtering women and children. No, we're paying back the guys who blew up the world trade center, oops most of those guys were from Saudia Arabia. OOPS. These killers don't even lie good.

Lies, lies, and more lies.

And some of you are still following along like lemming or sheeple.

We shouldn't even be in this war.

Step right up suckers, I've got a bridge I can sell you.

[TNisgoodenoughforme]

But isn't Obama who has sent them to Afganistian? I'm not saying Bush/ Chenny where right or wrong, but they aren't in the White House anymore

[Illuminated1]

What government does the Taliban claim to represent?
That should tell you what the Taliban actually is.
They don't represent the Government of Afghanistan,
therefore as a military machine, they actually hardly qualify, but instead a militia with hardened experience in legitimate war when they did represent the peoples of Afghanistan against the invading USSR.

As such, I feel our kidnapped soldier will not be returned.
He will probably be beheaded as an enemy combatant.


They don't even know they are the decendants of Issac. A missing tribe of Israel,found by Simcha Jacobvicini the famous archeologist.
They are so different from the other islamic followers of Islam, they are called extreme by their own....I think its ironic.

[nofoolling]

How many more folks will we slaughter and how many more billions of dollars will we waste before we realize that just like Iraq, fighting in Afghanistan will accomplish absolutely nothing except obscene profits for the folks that make weapons of war and death?

For every enemy combatant, some freedom fighters, some the annointed bad guys, we'll probably exterminate 500 innocents and call it collateral damage,

Because the same bloodthirsty killers that Darth the Cheney, God of Invented War enabled, are still around, ready and eager to sacrifice our children on the altar of greed.

What an embarassment, what a tragedy; warring for bloodmoney dollars!

Stop the war, start the war crime trials!

[Joe_NY_15]

How's "bring the troops home" workin' out for ya' ?.....LOL

that's what we get for irresponsibly electing a totally unqualified community organizer for president.

[Joe_NY_15]

Anyway, the topic is Afghanistan, not Iraq.....The Iraq war is now won, and the troops are headed........

to Afghanistan....LOL (not home)

[nofoolling]

We did not win the Iraq war, we ran away with our tails between our legs in total embarassment and totally humiliated for being stupid enough to believe the lies told by the Bush/Cheney crime syndicate.

[Joe_NY_15]

Phuckkkkin is a corporate return massterbate