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bullet  Our Kind of Hostage Problem

Sometimes a photo is just the thing to finish off a good story. From True's 27 February 2005 issue:

We Recognized His Plastic Smile

"Our mujahideen ... have managed to capture the American soldier John Adam after killing a number of his colleagues," an Al Qaeda web site said in Arabic, claiming it had captured a soldier in Iraq. It even posted a photo of the soldier, bound and at gunpoint. But "no units have reported anyone missing," said a Pentagon spokesman. A spokesman for Dragon Models USA has cleared up the mystery: the photo shows an action figure, "Special Ops Cody", which the company sold in stores in Kuwait. Even the rifle shown is a toy, and included in the package. "Everything the guy is wearing is exactly what comes with our figure," says the spokesman. (Reuters, AP) ...The Pentagon spokesman said they plan to pay a ransom, "as soon as we can find a few Monopoly games."

Pay Up Or We Kill the Infidel
The photo of the Al Qaeda 'hostage'.

The vest, the knee pads, even the "gun" pointed at his head are all toys, and included in the package with the action figure.

 
How Do We Know?
Action figure in package, with accessories

Here it is, the action figure in the package, with accessories.

 
Setting It Up
Oops...

This photo wasn't meant to get out -- it shows the "jihadists" setting up the fake photo. Terrorists, or Middle Eastern boys playing with dolls? You be the judge.