Farmer: US Troops in Iraq taken captive - Yahoo News

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060618/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_missing_soldiers;_ylt=ArVP7CDqKBEchixUDtPWDnus0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

Seems like even tho Snow wants this out of the news, it ain't going away any time soon.
Small question - Why has the soldier missing since 2004 - Keith Maupin - recieved two promotions since his disappearance? Time in service?

to them, or is that null and void for Bushies war?

Or does it applies only to US troops not the US's enemy?

in captivity than we give those we capture....

So - unfortunately for these soldiers - I don't think Geneva conventions are likely to be observed.....

Too bad they didn't capture Rummy, Wolfie, Bush< Cheney or any of the other architects of this war instead of a couple soldiers....

upheld.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A farmer claiming to have witnessed an attack on a U.S. military checkpoint said Sunday that insurgents swarmed the scene, killing the driver of a Humvee before taking two of his comrades captive. The U.S. military has only said the soldiers are missing.

U.S. troops, backed by helicopters and warplanes, fanned out across the "Triangle of Death" south of Baghdad searching for the missing servicemen. At least four raids had been carried out, but the captives were not found, the military said.

Another local resident said the soldiers searched houses on Sunday and promised a $100,000 reward for any information leading to the missing soldiers.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said he had no new information about the search and could not confirm reports the two men were abducted.

In my day the promotion system from E-1 to E-4 was based on a unit level selection process, if you did your job, passed your PT test, and had no "bad paper" you got promoted. So, I would guess that Maupin, who was an E-3(PFC) might have already been selected for E-4(Speacialist) before he went MIA.

Now as far as I remember a soldier had to appear before a board to get selected for E-5(Sergeant)and had to have the points required to meet the cut off scores for his or her MOS. The promotion from E-4 to E-5 for Maupin is probably something that was slipped in for the sake of his family, and since the Army cannot confirm his current situation, he is still considered to be alive.

It will be the ridiculous if the Army promotes him to E-6 next year!! And until he is declared to be a casualty his family is basically in a legal limbo, especially if he left any powers of attorney
paperwork that was set to expire.

As a former soldier, they can promote him once a year, but it's just giving a false sense of hope to his loved ones, and that to me is what is disturbing about Maupin's case

And will the govt do something ugly like demand repayment if he is finally declared "dead"?

There are just too many weird angles on this...

I really feel badly for the friends and family of those missing - not knowing has to be unbearable....