HONOLULU — In his first public appearance since returning from Asia, an Alabama businessman avoided any mention of the abduction and torture he says he underwent in Afghanistan.
An Internet announcement of Saturday night's Hawaii Christian Coalition meeting had said Clark Bowers would "recount his recent ordeal of being held as a hostage in Afghanistan." Instead, Bowers mentioned Afghanistan only once, as a place he had visited. He declined questions from reporters.
Bowers, 37, is a political consultant who has been giving speeches to Christian groups for years.
Bowers issued a statement last week to defend his story and respond to questions about his background, including promotional material describing him as a Harvard University professor or Ph.D., which Harvard has said it has no record. Some sources he cited contradicted his accounts, and Bowers wouldn't identify an Afghan friend supposedly abducted with him who could corroborate the story.
In the statement, he apologized for any inaccuracies in his personal biographies, at least one of which contains information Bowers said he had never seen.
The statement said he seeks no publicity about his captivity or release Jan. 18 and does not want to be considered a hero. He was introduced Saturday by coalition leader Garret Hashimoto only as a close friend. Hashimoto also did not mention the kidnapping.
Both the FBI and the State Department have confirmed that they interviewed Bowers, but neither has released any information.