BAGHDAD, Iraq - The U.S. military said Tuesday that no U.S. soldiers were known to be missing in Iraq after Iraqi militants claimed in a Web statement to have taken a soldier hostage and threatened to behead him.

“No units have reported anyone missing,” said Staff Sgt. Nick Minecci of the U.S. military's press office in Baghdad.

Doubts were also raised about the authenticity of a photograph posted on the Web site, which the militants claimed depicted the kidnapped soldier. A toy manufacturer said the figure in the photo resembled one of its military action figures, originally produced for sale at U.S. bases in Kuwait.

Evan Kohlman, founder of GlobalTerrorAlert.com and a counterterrorism analyst for NBC News, said some details in the picture appear to be doctored. The Arabic text included misspellings and repetitions, The Associated Press reported.

The photo showed a figure dressed in desert camouflage fatigues, a vest and knee pads, with a gun pointed to its head. All of the items are similar to ones that come in a box with the action figure.

The figure in the photo, who the statement said was named “John Adam,” appeared stiff and expressionless. Liam Cusack, of the toy manufacturer Dragon Models USA Inc., said it bore a striking resemblance to the African-American version of its “Cody” action figure.

“It is our doll. ... To me, it definitely looks like it is,” Cusack told the AP. “Everything the guy is wearing is exactly what comes with our figure.”

He said the figures were ordered by the U.S. military in Kuwait for sale in their bases, “so they would have been in region.”

A statement posted with the picture suggested the group was holding other soldiers.

“Our mujahedeen heroes of Iraq’s Jihadi Battalion were able to capture American military man John Adam after killing a number of his comrades and capturing the rest,” said the statement, signed by the “Mujahedeen Brigades.”

“God willing, we will behead him if our female and male prisoners are not released from U.S. prisons within the maximum period of 72 hours from the time this statement has been released,” the statement said.

The funniest part is that yesterday the media was going with the story, they actually believed it... how can anyone not see that they are showing a doll in that picture??