How shocked are you that the videos coming from the jihadists are untrue:
An Iraqi insurgent propaganda video, containing what is described as a Christmas message from a U.S. soldier taped just before he was killed, appeared on dozens of Web sites and on the al Jazeera network.But a lot about the video does not add up, including the fact that ABC News found the supposedly dead soldier is "alive and well" and present for duty, according to a U.S. Army spokesman at Fort Campbell, Ky.
"There are a whole bunch of lies on that tape," said Lt. Col. Ed Loomis at Fort Campbell. "It is nothing but a total fabrication."
[...]
Lt. Col. Loomis told ABC News that while the pictures appear to be authentic, it was a case of Tucker's identity being stolen in Iraq.
The voice identified as Tucker says he and his fellow soldiers became violent and reckless searching for insurgents.
"The crimes by our soldiers during break-ins started to merge, such as burglary, harassment, raping and random manslaughter," says the voice. "Why are we even here? The people hate us."
Laura Mansfield, an Arabic language analyst at Strategic Translations, said this is a new trick in the jihadists' propaganda campaign.
"This is part of a very shrewd campaign to reach a U.S. audience, soldiers and voters," she said. "It is in English and forgives most soldiers and Americans, calling on them to help end the war."
[...]
And it ends with a final denunciation of U.S. leaders and policy.
"What we are doing here is so disgraceful; our acts are shameful," says the voice. He then signs off, "Specialist Lee Kimball Tucker."
All very powerful from a dead soldier, except for the fact that Lee Kimball Tucker is not dead.
His family says he returned from Iraq in May and was with them over the holidays so he would not have been sending any messages home.
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