Waterskiing on the Tigris

This short article dates from 2003. It's a shame it's no longer available online as it was apparently accompanied by photos.

My Waterski Hol on Saddam River
by Philip Cardy, The Sun, September 22, 2003

Robert spotted some old speedboats in a disused marina and paid one owner £120 to take him and Texan pal Ryan Manelick, 30, out on Saturday.

The pair braved the perils of poisoning from sewage, unexploded bombs - and crackpot gunmen on the banks. Business consultant Robert, below, of Notting Hill, West London, said: "I'd done a spot of waterskiing but only off Dorset. We went for lunch by the Tigris and realised it was beautiful for waterskiing. [...]

Ryan, a US Army contractor said: "I know it was crazy but I thought, what the hell."

More...

For Americans who might be unfamilliar with The Sun, it's a very popular British tabloid.

Update February 18, 2006. Also see Waterskiing on the Tigris pt 2

Bibliography

A rough and tumble attempt at a bibliography of news reports and articles that mention Kirk von Ackermann and/or Ryan Manelick.

Note: some of the following are no longer available online. Some have now been archived and are pay-to-view.

A quick trip thru the Missing Man archives, just to the right, should help in locating a few excerpts. The two articles by Colin Freeman, also linked to the right, are the most comprehensive to date. They are also included below.

Bibliography

My Waterski Hol on Saddam River
by Philip Cardy, The Sun, September 22, 2003

Two injured in Tikrit army base blast
Thomas Crosbie Media, October 12, 2003

Mystery surrounds US businessman missing in Iraq's 'Sunni triangle'
by Colin Freeman, Telegraph, November 9, 2003

Bay Area civilian vanishes in Iraq
by Colin Freeman, San Francisco Chronicle, November 11, 2003

Moss Beach man missing in Iraq
San Mateo County Times, November 12, 2003

Local mysteriously vanishes in Iraq
Burlingame Daily News, November 12, 2003

News In Brief
by Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!, November 14th, 2003

U.S. Civilian Contractor Killed in Iraq
by Jim Gomez, The Associated Press, November 14, 2003

Contractors' Deaths Add to Iraq Toll
by Seth Porges, Editor & Publisher, November 14, 2003

C'est l'histoire de deux chefs d'entreprise - interview with Ryan Manelick
24 Heures, November 18, 2003

Von Ackermann: 'a regular guy?'
by Jeanine Gore, Half Moon Bay Review, November 24, 2003

Family mourns CV grad killed in Iraq ambush
by Cindy Stauffer, Lancaster New Era, December 18, 2003

Drive-By Shooting In Iraq Kills Civilian CV Graduate
WGAL Channel, December 18, 2003

Two men with ties to county fall victim to Iraqi violence CV graduate shot to death in Baghdad
by Justin Quinn, Intelligencer Journal, December 18, 2003

Ryan G. Manelick, Air Force linguist - obituary
Intelligencer Journal, December 18, 2003

Ryan G. Manelick, Air Force linguist - obituary
Lancaster New Era, December 18, 2003

WLMI News Briefs
WLMI, 11:00 AM, December 30, 2003

Outsourcing the War
by Peter W. Singer, Salon.com, April 16, 2004

Iraq, Inc.: A Profitable Occupation
by Pratap Chatterjee, Seven Stories Press, November 2004, page 144

Hostage Families Face Tough Choices
by Libby Lewis, NPR, Morning Edition, February 7, 2005

Suspicion surrounds missing Bay Area man
by Colin Freeman, San Francisco Chronicle, February 13, 2005

US Army launches fraud probe in Iraq contractors' killing, disappearance: report
by Andrew Hay, Agence France-Presse, February 13, 2005

Foul Play in Iraq?
by Douglas Waller, Time Online, February 13, 2005

Without A Trace In Iraq
by Douglas Waller, Time Magazine, February 13, 2005

Murder mystery in Iraq
by David Batstone, Sojourner, February 17, 2005

An Iraq Murder Mystery for Negroponte?
by David Corn, davidcorn.com, February 18, 2005

Winters business employed murdered, missing workers
by Debralo Guercio, Winters Express, Ferbuary 24, 2005

Graves found at depot pose puzzle in Iraq
by Harry Esteve, The Oregonian, March 03, 2005

The Missing
by Rod Nordland, Newsweek, March 11, 2006

One Missing, One Dead: An Iraq Contractor in the Fog of War
by Susie Dow with Steven Reich, ePluribus Media, May 15, 2006

Military: Missing soldiers found dead
by Cesar G. Soriano, USA Today, June 20, 2006 - side bar to article

13 Americans still listed as missing
AP, June 20, 2006

American soldiers and civilians kidnapped or missing in Iraq
AP, June 21, 2006

Soldiers' bodies recovered
by Kim Gamel, AP, June 21, 2006 - side bar to article

Rules usually protect GIs from capture
by Ryan Lenz, AP, June 21, 2006 - side bar to article

Military releases new details about killing, recovery of kidnapped soldiers
AP, USA Today, June 27, 2006 - side bar to article

Family's nightmare begins at gunpoint Part 1
By Deborah Hastings, AP, Salt Lake Tribune, December 24, 2006

Kidnapped Americans in Iraq
By Deborah Hastings, AP, Salt Lake Tribune, December 24, 2006

Von Ackermann - obituary
The Albuquerque Journal, January 14, 2007

Death of a Contractor: Greed and Murder in Iraq's Lawless Desert - original link expired

Death of a Contractor - alternative source

pp. 70-74, 76-69 (print version includes photos)
By Dan Halpern, Rolling Stone, March 8, 2007, Issue 1021

Missing Contractor: US Military Mechanics may Hold the Keys
By Susie Dow, ePluribus Media, April 21, 2008

Curse of the Al Dulaimi Hotel: And Other Half-truths from Baghdad
By Colin Freeman, Monday Books, July 2008

Iraq calmer but copycat kidnappings spread
By Pamela Hess, Associated Press, October 13, 2008
(includes photo of Kirk von Ackermann)

EXCLUSIVE: New Documents Claim Intelligence on Bin Laden, al-Qaeda Targets Withheld From Congress' 9/11 Probe - about von Ackermann's former intelligence work
By Jeffrey Kaye and Jason Leopold, Truthout, June 13, 2011
Related: Attachment - Unclassified FOIA Response - PDF (must read)

Report: Intelligence Unit Told Before 9/11 to Stop Tracking Bin Laden - about von Ackermann's former intelligence work
By Jeffrey Kaye, Truthout, May 23, 2011
Related: Review of Joint Forces Intelligence Command Response to 9/11 Commission - PDF
Deputy Inspector General for Intelligence
Department of Defense
September 23, 2008

This post will be updated on occasion as new articles appear in the press.