He's an American soldier, captured by the Taliban in uncertain circumstances, and now being disgustingly videoed for propaganda purposes. What he says in the video is obviously not to be taken seriously; he is under duress and in captivity. We do not know whether he has been tortured or mistreated, although he is at pains in this video to say he wasn't.
What we do know is that the Taliban is interested in making this point:
He says that unlike prisoners of the United States, which has tortured Muslim captives “in Bagram, in Guantánamo Bay and Abu Ghraib,” he has been treated fairly.
If and when he is released or rescued, we will know the full story. But it stings deeply to realize that the Taliban can now preen as morally superior in their treatment of prisoners than the US under Bush and Cheney - and have a smidgen of a point.
Until his rescue, please pray for him and his family - and for all the servicemembers out there today, risking their lives for us, and for all those military families who spent this Christmas with someone missing, and in harm's way.