Missing soldier's uncle says rogue militia kidnapped him

From Jomana Karadsheh
CNN

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AMMAN, Jordan (CNN) -- The uncle of the U.S. soldier abducted in Baghdad last month said his nephew is believed to have been kidnapped by breakaway elements of a notorious Shiite militia.

But the man, Entifadh Qanbar, told CNN in an interview Tuesday that there are still no direct signs that his nephew, Ahmed K. Altaie, is alive.

Qanbar said "elements thought to be former members of the Mehdi Army" -- the militia of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr -- may be responsible for the abduction.

Altaie, an Iraq-American reservist who worked as a translator, was kidnapped on October 23.

Qanbar -- who has been working as a go-between in efforts to help free his nephew -- said Abu Rami, a notorious militiaman in the Karrada area where Altaie was kidnapped, was among the men who seized the soldier.

According to Qanbar, Abu Rami and his group were expelled from the Mehdi Army before the abduction but continue to use the name "Mehdi Army" to describe their group. The U.S. military has targeted Mehdi Army strongholds in an effort to find the soldier.

The rogue group still controlled the area of Karrada where Altaie's wife and in-laws lived, said Qanbar, who added that Abu Rami was a neighbor of Altaie's wife and family.

"They are notorious, well-trained and understand intelligence and how the Americans function," Qanbar said.

"The family was reassured by individuals close to the Mehdi Army that if Altaie is in the hands of the Mehdi Army, he will be safe. Although the Mehdi Army did not mention they have him," he added

Qanbar said that since the kidnapping, he has been in contact with a number of intermediaries. However, he has not directly received proof that Altaie is alive.

One intermediary passed along a ransom demand of $250,000 and told Qanbar that about 10 days ago he saw a video of Altaie recorded on a cell phone. The intermediary claimed the video showed Altaie tied to a chair and that he had cuts on his head as if he had been beaten. There was some sort of ID near the chair, he said.

The family is willing to negotiate with the kidnappers when they receive proof of life, Qanbar said.

He said the family is "shocked and impressed" by the U.S. military's efforts to find Altaie, saying, "They are leaving no stone unturned."

However, the family is very disappointed with what they say is the Iraqi government's inaction. "There has been no public call for his release by the government," Qanbar said.

He said he notified a number of senior government officials, including the chief of staff for Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, but they have not contacted him.

Qanbar described his 41-year-old nephew as "a fun kid, a musician and an idealist who left a privileged life in the U.S. to come and serve his country."

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