Feral Jundi

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Industry Talk: The Contractor POW’s And MIA’s Of Iraq And Afghanistan

I wanted to start a list for all those contractors and civilians that are still missing or are prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan. I should note that there is one MIA soldier in Iraq, and there is one soldier that is a prisoner of war in Afghanistan. But this post is dedicated to the contractors and civilians that far out number the military in terms of MIA or POW.

Of course these folks are all considered hostages by the Hostage Working Group in Iraq, and I assume there is a Hostage Working Group in Afghanistan. I choose to call them POW’s and MIA’s, despite how some might disagree with this classification.

The thing that concerns me the most right now about the situation in both countries, is as the wars wind down and western forces leave, these POW’s and MIA’s will still be there. Although contractors will still be hanging around in those war zones for some time after.

So with that said, I wanted to also put this post up top as a page with the hope that contractors or military folks out there will not forget about these missing or captured heroes. Better yet, if folks have any input or tips or anything in regards to these cases, they know where to go to get their voices heard.  Just write me, or make a comment on that page and help correct the record or bring attention to this.

The other thing that gets me here is the lack of accountability. The article below mentions 7 civilians/contractors missing in Iraq, and not 5 like wikipedia has mentioned. I imagine the overall numbers are not correct for the other missing people from various countries? Nor do these statistics go into how many local nationals are missing or are prisoners. Local nationals certainly contributed in these wars as contractors or as government soldiers/police, and their sacrifice should not be forgotten or ignored.

Never forget, and let’s get these folks home. –Matt

The wives of the missing 'Baghdad 4' South African contractors.

Contractors and Civilians Missing or Captured in Iraq (from Wikipedia)
5 Americans (7 according to the article below)
Kirk von Ackermann, disappeared on October 9, 2003 after leaving a meeting at FOB Pacesetter. His vehicle was found abandoned later that same day. He is presumed dead.
Timothy Bell, a contractor for Halliburton, went missing on April 9, 2004. He was never shown in a hostage video and is presumed dead.
Aban Elias, an Iraqi-American engineer from Denver, was shown being held hostage in a video on May 3, 2004. He has not been seen or heard from since.
Radim Sadeq Mohammed Sadeq, also called “Dean Sadek”, a businessman kidnapped on November 2, 2004, in Baghdad. He was shown in a video that month and in another video dated Christmas Eve but released in late January on NBC. He has not been seen or heard from since. His kidnappers demanded the release of Iraqi prisoners.
Jeffrey Ake, a contractor, was kidnapped on April 11, 2005, and shown in a videotape two days later. He has not been seen or heard from since. His kidnappers contacted his wife on the day he was kidnapped and demanded $1 million dollars in exchange for his release. After three weeks of negotiations, the kidnappers cut off all communication.
4 South Africans
Andre Durant, Callie Scheepers, Hardus Greeff and Johann Enslin, four contractors, were abducted at a bogus roadblock in Baghdad by unidentified men on December 10, 2006, along with five Iraqis. The Iraqis were released two days later. The kidnappers demanded $8 million ransom. Ten days after the abduction, Andre spoke to his wife briefly in a “proof of life” phone call. There were some talks that these four were still alive in January 2007, but since then there has been no word on their fate.
1 Egyptian
Samuel Edward, an engineer working for Iraqna Mobile Company, was kidnapped on September 26, 2005, in Baghdad. His Iraqi driver was left unharmed.
1 German
Sinan Krause, a technician at the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, was kidnapped on February 6, 2007, with his mother Hannelore in Baghdad. Their kidnappers demanded that Germany withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. Hannelore was released on July 10, 2007, but Sinan Krause hasn’t been seen or heard from since a video was released on September 11, 2007. The video was recorded before Hannelore was released. It showed Sinan saying goodbye to his mother. Their kidnappers issued a final 10 day deadline in the video for Germany to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. They threatened to slit Sinan’s throat if their demand was not met. On April 24, 2008, his father appealed to the captors to release his son. The kidnappers ignored the plea.
2 Kenyans
Moses Munyao and George Noballa, engineers from the Iraqna telephone company, were reported kidnapped after an ambush on January 18, 2006. They were never found.
1 Palestinian
Rami Daas, a 26 year-old Palestinian student, was reported kidnapped by his family on May 9, 2005, by gunmen in the northern city of Mosul. His fate is unknown.

Contractors and Civilians Missing or Captured in Afghanistan (from Wikipedia)
5 Bangladesh
Imam Uddin, Mahbub Ali, Aminul Islam, “Lablu” and Mojibur Rahman of the Samwhan Corporation were five of seven workers kidnapped on Dec. 17, 2010 near Mazar-i-Sharif.
2 French
Stephane Taponier and Herve Ghesquiere, journalists for France 3, were taken hostage along with their translator, editorial fixer and driver by the Taliban in Afghanistan on December 30, 2009 They are the longest held foreign hostages in Afghanistan.
10 Iranians
Ten engineers were abducted in Farah Province near the border with Iran.
—————————————————————-
With Withdrawal Looming, Trails Grow Cold for Americans Missing in Iraq
By JACK HEALY
May 21, 2011
BAGHDAD — The last Americans missing in Iraq followed disparate paths to an uncertain fate. They arrived from Indiana and North Carolina, Chicago and Denver. They came out of a sense of duty, in search of a paycheck, or hoping to reclaim a homeland they had fled decades earlier.
But the lives of the eight men — seven private contractors and the only American service member who remains unaccounted — are a painful fragment of the war’s legacy, a haunting piece of unfinished business that the military will leave behind when it withdraws by the end of the year.

(more…)

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Aviation: Contractor Helicopter Missing in Afghanistan

      Usually these don’t end well.  I hope they find them alive, if in fact they crashed. My heart goes out to the friends and family of the missing. –Matt

Edit: The crashed helicopter has been found, three dead.  Rest in peace.

——————————————————————

Contractor helicopter missing in Afghanistan

By Jennifer Z. Deaton

November 26, 2009

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) — A search was under way Thursday for a helicopter belonging to a military contractor, NATO officials said.

The helicopter for Supreme Global Service Solutions went missing Tuesday, said Lt. Col. Todd Vician, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.

He did not say how many people were aboard or in what region of the country ISAF was looking for the chopper.

However, the governor of Logar province in eastern Afghanistan said the search’s focus has been the Khar Pech district.

Governor Halim Fedia said he did not have any further information. An official with Supreme Global also could not offer additional details.

Authorities did not receive a distress signal from the chopper, Vician said.

“We are using reconnaissance assets to find it. We can’t go into more than that. We don’t provide detail on ongoing operations,” he said.

Supreme Global, based in the Netherlands, provides food supplies for military and multinational forces.

Story here.

 

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Military News: Remains of Captain Michael “Scott” Speicher Found, Missing 18 Years in Iraq

   I am floored on this.  Back during the first Gulf War, this was a very big deal, and it was always a bitter pill to swallow.  I am glad the family knows now, and they can finally say he is found.  Rest in peace. –Matt

——————————————————————

Remains of Captain Michael “Scott” Speicher found, missing 18 years in Iraq 

By PAULINE JELINEKThe Associated PressSunday, August 2, 2009 9:27 AM

WASHINGTON — The remains of the first American lost in the Persian Gulf War have been found in Iraq, the military said Sunday, after struggling for nearly two decades with the question of whether he was dead or alive.

The Pentagon said the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology on Saturday had positively identified the remains of Navy Capt. Michael “Scott” Speicher, whose disappearance has bedeviled investigators since his fighter jet was shot down over the Iraq desert on the first night of the 1991 war.

(more…)

Sunday, November 23, 2008

News: US Renews Appeal to Iran on Missing American

Filed under: Iran,News — Tags: , , , — Matt @ 12:24 AM

US renews appeal to Iran on missing American

November 21, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department has renewed an appeal to Iran for information about a former FBI agent, Floridian Robert Levinson, who went missing in Iranian territory 20 months ago.

Spokesman Sean McCormack said Friday that Iran has not responded to a recent request through Swiss intermediaries about Levinson. He was last seen on Iran’s Kish island in March 2007. Iran said previously it has no information about him. McCormack said the U.S. believes Iranian authorities can still help.

Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., introduced a resolution Thursday asking Congress and U.S. allies to press Iran on the case. Levinson’s wife, Christine, visited the country last year to learn more about his disappearance but got no new information. She met last week with a senior State Department official.

Levinson’s Web site

Story Here

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

News: FBI Seeks Information About Former Agent Bob Levinson, Missing in Iran

Filed under: Iran,Kidnap And Ransom,News — Tags: , , , , , , — Matt @ 7:35 PM

   This is an interesting one, because Bob has been missing since last year.  I am glad that the FBI is getting involved on this and putting out the word.  Hopefully they will get some movement on this.  It is possible that this could be an isolated case, but more than likely this is a product of the ‘tit for tat’ hostage taking that was going on last year.  We detained Iranian agents in Iraq, Iran detains some Brits and others, and so on and so forth.  I just hope that Bob gets released, if that is the case.  It could be possible that he is the victim of some random crime there.  Who knows, and FJ will keep an eye on this one.  –Head Jundi 

For Immediate Release

July 15, 2008

Washington D.C.

FBI National Press Office

(202) 324-3691

FBI Seeking Information about Missing Retired Special Agent Robert Levinson

Retired FBI Special Agent Robert Levinson has been missing since March 2007 and is believed to be in Iran. As Mr. Levinson is a retired Special Agent, the FBI has an interest in his disappearance. Through the FBI’s legal attaché offices worldwide, the FBI is working with the Department of State to gather information regarding his safety and whereabouts.

The FBI has obtained information that Mr. Levinson arrived on Iran’s Kish Island on March 8, 2007, had several meetings at the Maryam Hotel, and then checked out the next day. However, Mr. Levinson did not fly to Dubai on a previously scheduled flight. There is no record of Mr. Levinson leaving Kish Island. Nor is there any record of Mr. Levinson using his passport or credit cards after March 9, 2007.

“This is a matter of great concern for the FBI. Bob had a long and distinguished FBI career, and he has a wife, four daughters, three sons, one grandchild, and another on the way, all awaiting his return. Plain and simple, our goal is to bring Bob home to his family,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Joseph Persichini, Jr., Washington Field Office.

Anyone with information about Mr. Levinson’s disappearance should contact their local FBI field office, or if outside the U.S., the legal attaché at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. You can also submit information on the web site.

 FBI Web Site

Help Bob Levinson Web Site

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