This a bit more confirmed than the previous report.

“An al-Qaida front group that claims it has captured American soldiers warned the United States on Monday to stop searching for them and suggested it attacked the U.S. convoy as revenge for the rape and murder of a local teenager last year.

The U.S. military also said for the first time it believes the three missing soldiers were abducted by al-Qaida-linked militants after an attack that included three roadside bombs.

“What you are doing in searching for your soldiers will lead to nothing but exhaustion and headaches. Your soldiers are in our hands. If you want their safety, do not look for them,” the Islamic State of Iraq said on a militant Web site.

“You should remember what you have done to our sister Abeer in the same area,” the statement said, referring to five American soldiers who were charged in the rape and killing of 14-year-old Abeer Qassim al-Janabi and the killings of her parents and her younger sister last year.

Three soldiers have pleaded guilty in the case ‚Äî one of the most shocking atrocities committed by U.S. troops in the Iraq war.”

Leave it to the (A)ss-ociated (D)epressed to take the opportunity to bash the troops over something totally unreated to the former.

Ace adds that the captors also plan to consult with Democrats on the next move as so to gain the greatest effect, but also notes:

“Notice Al Qaeda is not pressuring us to stay, which is odd, because I keep being told that Al Qaeda loves having American troops in Iraq and Bush is “playing right into their hands.”

I don’t think this is going to have the effect Al Qaeda seeks. It’s getting harder and harder for the media to pretend that Al Qaeda isn’t the major source of violence and terrorism in Iraq — and the biggest cause of US troop deaths — and they’re going to have a hard time avoiding using the words “Al Qaeda” when they run these tapes.

Question: Would these tapes be considered a “coordinated” media buy for the Democrats under McCain-Feingold? Will the FEC investigate?

Maybe that’s the way to get the media remotely perturbed at Al Qaeda — we can sell them on the idea that “Al Qaeda is swift-boating Iraq.” They really do seem to despise “swift-boating.”

Perhaps now the Democrats will stop holding the safety of our soldiers hostage and fund them completely minus their stupid cut and run time tables?

Yeah, right.