handling media, xsl:variable problem

(I would appreciate a direct reply as I am a digester
and am working with a tight deadline! Please remember
to cc the list as well though!)

I am trying to setup a template to handle MEDIA
elements, which can be images, video or audio. I am
trying to use a variable to store the actual img or
embed tag to use later on in placement of the media
file, but for some reason, the variable is coming out
empty. If I add some basic text in the variable, it is
captured and output as expected. So, it is just the
img or embed tags that are being ignored/omitted for
some reason...

I am using Saxon and outputting as XHTML. Here is an
exmaple media element and the media template.
Suggestions and/or comments welcome. TIA --Nate

<!-- media element -->
<Media type="image" id="issrail"
file="http://www.nasa.gov/images/031902_issrail.jpg"
align="left" width="110" height="83" border="0"
alt="Space Railroad">
  <Caption align="bottom">Space Railroad</Caption>
  <Link type="internal"
url="http://spacerailroad.nasa.gov/" />
</Media>

<!-- media template -->
<xsl:template match="Media">
<xsl:variable name="media1">
	<xsl:choose>
		<xsl:when test="@type='image'">
			<img id="{@id}" src="{@file}" width="{@width}"
height="{@height}" align="{@align}" border="{@border}"
alt="{@alt}" />
		</xsl:when>
		<xsl:when test="@type='audio'">
			<embed id="{@id}" src="{@file}" height="{@height}"
width="{@width}" autostart="false" loop="false" />
		</xsl:when>
		<xsl:when test="@type='video'">
			<embed id="{@id}" src="{@file}" height="{@height}"
width="{@width}" autostart="false" loop="false" />
		</xsl:when>
	</xsl:choose>
</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="media2">
	<xsl:choose>
		<xsl:when test="Link and Link!=''">
			<a>
				<xsl:attribute name="href">
					<xsl:value-of select="@url" />
				</xsl:attribute>
				<xsl:if test="@type='external'">
					<xsl:attribute name="target">
						<xsl:value-of select="'_blank'" />
					</xsl:attribute>
				</xsl:if>
				<xsl:value-of select="$media1" />
			</a>
		</xsl:when>
		<xsl:otherwise>
			<xsl:value-of select="$media1" />
		</xsl:otherwise>
	</xsl:choose>
</xsl:variable>
	<xsl:choose>
		<xsl:when test="Caption and Caption!=''">
		<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" border="0">
			<xsl:choose>
				<xsl:when test="Caption/@align='top'">
					<tr><td valign="top"
class="piccaption"><xsl:value-of select="Caption"
/></td></tr>
					<tr><td><xsl:value-of select="$media2"
/></td></tr>
				</xsl:when>
				<xsl:when test="Caption/@align='left'">
					<tr><td valign="top"
class="piccaption"><xsl:value-of select="Caption"
/></td>
					<td><xsl:value-of select="$media2" /></td></tr>
				</xsl:when>
				<xsl:when test="Caption/@align='right'">
					<tr><td><xsl:value-of select="$media2" /></td>
					<td valign="top" class="piccaption"><xsl:value-of
select="Caption" /></td></tr>
				</xsl:when>
				<xsl:when test="Caption/@align='bottom'">
					<tr><td><xsl:value-of select="$media2"
/></td></tr>
					<tr><td valign="top"
class="piccaption"><xsl:value-of select="Caption"
/></td></tr>
				</xsl:when>
			</xsl:choose>
		</table>
		</xsl:when>
		<xsl:otherwise>
			<xsl:value-of select="$media2" />
		</xsl:otherwise>
	</xsl:choose>
	<xsl:if test="@width &gt; 600">
		<br clear="all" />
	</xsl:if>
</xsl:template>

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