Nation & World

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Do you have a news tip? newstips@heraldnet.com | 425.339.3400   Published: Friday, July 3, 2009 Taliban may have captured soldier The Washington Post WASHINGTON -- A U.S. soldier discovered missing Thursday from a small outpost in eastern Afghanistan is believed to have been captured by Taliban militants when he walked away from his base, military officials said. A U.S. official in Afghanistan said the soldier's absence was discovered when he did not show up for morning formation. It is highly unusual for a U.S. soldier to leave a military base unaccompanied by other American troops, and the military is investigating. "We are exhausting all available resources to ascertain his whereabouts and provide for his safe return," said a statement issued by the U.S. military headquarters in Kabul. The U.S. military, citing safety concerns, declined to identify soldier by name or the group holding him, and said that the militants had not made any direct contact with military officials. "We have no reason to believe someone came to the facility and kidnapped him. We believe he left the facility and got into trouble," said one senior defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. A member of the Taliban linked to insurgent leader Sirajuddin Haqqani in Pakistan said that the soldier is in the custody of insurgents from the Haqqani network who are operating on the Afghan side of the border. The Taliban fighter, interviewed by telephone, said the kidnapping was carried out by Maulvi Sangeen, an Afghan commander linked to Haqqani. Agence France-Presse quoted a Haqqani commander as saying his militia had captured the soldier in the Yousuf Khail district of Paktika province, along the border with Pakistan. "Our leaders have not decided on the fate of this soldier," the AFP quoted the Haqqani commander, identified only as Bahram, as saying. "They will decide on his fate, and soon we will present videotapes of the coalition soldier and our demand to media." The soldier was not part of the assault launched by a Marine brigade on Taliban forces in southern Afghanistan early Thursday. While the AFP report quoted the Haqqani commander as saying the soldier was captured with three Afghan "guards," the U.S. official said the Afghans who reportedly were seized do not appear to have been soldiers. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

1. Tulalip man, 20, charged with baby boy's murder 2. Donated safe gives Marysville museum a mystery 3. Fears over commercial air service at Paine Field dismissed 4. Everett officer charged with manslaughter reveals plan for defense 5. Merchants reject security for downtown Snohomish 6. Holmgren interested in returning to Seahawks 7. Friends open account for orphaned daughters of Highway 9 crash victims 8. Crack That Safe 9. Country singing contestant Chance McKinney amazed by his fans 10. Have M’s, Figgins reached a deal? 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Wildcats fall to familar foe in semis • ‘Nutcracker' times three • Road warrior • Mavericks reloading • Holiday Lightings & Santa Sightings • Cities prepare for winter blast repeat • Wolfpack duo takes last shot at state tourney • This Weekend in Your Town • Tips for the stormy season • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million