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.
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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.
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