2008 Woodie Awards
Video footage reveals American soldier held hostage in Iraq
Jessica Morford
Issue date: 4/22/04 Section: News
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Comment on this articleLast Friday, April 16, Arab television aired footage of an American soldier being held captive. In the video, 20-year-old Army Private Keith "Matt" Maupin sits against a wall surrounded by masked gunmen. He appears unharmed. The gunmen claim to be holding other hostages, and will release Maupin and the others in exchange for the release of imprisoned Iraqi fighters.
Maupin is heard speaking on the tape. "My name is Keith Matthew Maupin," he said. "I am a soldier from the First Division. I am married with a 10-month-old son. I came to liberate Iraq, but I did not come willingly, because I wanted to stay with my child."
On Monday, Maupin's family declined Jesse Jackson's offer to go to Iraq and negotiate his release. Jackson has been successful with negotiating for prisoners - once during the Ronald Reagan administration and once during the war in Kosovo in 1999.
Coalition Provisional Authority spokesman Dan Senor says there will be no negotiation with the rebels. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice stood strong during a CNN interview Saturday morning, saying negotiation is out of the question.
On the video, a gunman says Maupin is being treated according to the Islamic religion's treatment of prisoners, and he is in good health.
David Shultz, a friend of the Maupin family, said Maupin entered the military after the Sept. 11 terrorists attacks.
"A lot of young men wanted to contribute in some way after 9-11," Stultz said in a phone interview with the Associated Press. "He felt this was a way he could do it and get some experience."
Before the video aired, Maupin and 40-year-old Army Sergeant Elmer C. Krause were listed as missing after their convoy was attacked outside Baghdad on April 9. Krause's whereabouts remain unknown.
(Information for this article was obtained from www.cnn.com.)
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