"As you can see, the American soldier is in good shape and good health, and he is being treated well based on the guidelines of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan regarding war prisoners, " said a statement on Islamist Web sites accompanying the video.

CNN: U.S. soldier captured by Taliban: 'I'm afraid'

The official Taliban position is that the group's pre-2001 Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan remains the country's only legitimate government.

WSJ: Detainee Deal Stalls Taliban Talks

One danger in the Western disarray over Afghanistan is that the Taliban may begin to dream grandly again of restoring their Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

ECONOMIST: Afghanistan