Defense Base Act vs War Hazards Compensation Act

This post looks at the significance of a non-hostile event vs a hostile event in determining how a casualty will be handled under the Defense Base Act. Any errors are strictly my own and, as always, corrections are very much welcome.

Casualty

Under United States policies and laws, a casualty is composed of a) TYPE, b) STATUS, and c) CATEGORY.

a) TYPE:

(1) non-hostile or
(2) hostile

b) STATUS:

(1) deceased or
(2) duty status – whereabouts unknown (DUSTWUN) for military, or excused absence – whereabouts unknown (EAWUN) for civilians or
(3) missing or
(4) very seriously ill or injured (VSI) or
(5) seriously ill or injured (SI) or
(6) not seriously ill or injured (NSI) or
(7) Returned to Military Control (RMC) or
(8) Pending - for preliminary reports only

At the DoD Component’s discretion, an additional casualty Status may be used - generally used for illnesses that require hospitalization:

(9) Special Patient (SPECPAT) or
(10) Special Category (SPECAT)

c) CATEGORY:

There are a wide variety of casualty categories depending on the status. For example, categories used for 'Status - Missing' are - Beleaguered, Besieged, Captured, Detained, Interned, Missing, Missing in Action (MIA), and again, Pending is for preliminary reports only.

POW is not a casualty status for reporting purposes, rather Status and Category are "Missing-Captured."

The key to understanding the difference between the Defense Base Act and the War Hazards Compensation Act lies in the TYPE of casualty: non-hostile vs. hostile

Laws

The Defense Base Act is an extension of the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act - the equivalent of worker's compensation for Americans working overseas for US government agencies.

The Defense Base Act is, in effect, a group of laws: Defense Base Act (1941), War Hazards Compensation Act (1942), Mutual Security Act (1958), and in part the Dayton Peace Accords (1995). In addition, the Federal Employees Compensation Act (1916) applies should an incident qualify under the War Hazards Compensation Act.

Because coverage under the Defense Base Act is a legal requirement, premiums paid by a contractor are a reimbursable expense under the terms of the contract. Contracts should carry the relevant contract clauses (see: PDF - Memorandum: Inclusion of Defense Base Act Clause in DoD Overseas Contracts 08 Dec 2003).

Defense Base Act vs War Hazards Compensation Act

Incidents are divided into two types: NON-HOSTILE and HOSTILE. Casualties the result of a Non-Hostile event are covered under the Defense Base Act. Casualties the result of a Hostile event, however, are covered under the War Hazards Compensation Act.

The following graphic is an attempt to help clarify the difference between the Defense Base Act and the War Hazards Compensation Act.

right click to open in a new window

Claims arising from incidents that are the result of non-hostile action generally are reported under the Defense Base Act and as such are 15-40% reimbursable. [see note below] Claims arising from incidents that are the result of hostile action are paid under the War Hazards Compensation Act and subsequently the Federal Employees Compensation Act and consequently are 100% reimbursable.

Example:

John Brown sprains his ankle getting out of his truck in Iraq. Even though he's working in a war zone, the type of incident is non-hostile. Claims will be covered under the Defense Base Act. The claims will be reimbursed at 15-40%.

Bob Jones sprains his ankle getting out of his truck in Iraq as he attempts to retreat from mortar fire. Even though the injury is physically and medically identical to that of his co-worker, John Brown, the incident is the result of hostile action. Claims will be covered under the War Hazards Compensation Act and subsequently the Federal Employees Compensation Act. The claims will be reimbursed at 100%.

Previous related posts

Casualty Status of Missing

Iraq Contractors and The Missing Persons Act

Note (added July 19, 2009)

Figures were provided by Department of Labor personnel during several presentations at the Defense Base Act conference in Washington DC in the fall of 2008. The vast majority of claims filed under the Defense Base Act are for injuries. Expense to be reimbursed is usually for Loss Time - that is, the amount of time that an employee is unable to work due to the injury - but only if more than 4 days. The first 4 days are expected to be paid as sick days by an employer, and are not reimbursed.

As a result, the bulk of the claims - which again are for injuries - generally end up being reimbursed at 15-40%. In more concrete terms, the vast majority of injuries result in a time loss of 5 to 7 days of which 1 to 3 days, roughly 15-40%, will be reimbursed.

The Department of Labor breaks down Loss Time as follows:

NLT - No Loss Time - No lost time and no medical expense
NL0 - No Loss Zero - No lost time and no medical expense * but may result in a later claim, Questionable No Lost Time Injury**
NL4 - No Loss Four - No lost time, medical expense incurred or expected *
DEA - Death
COP - Continuation of regular pay*
OTH - Other

* found on a DOL form for Federal Employee's Notice of Traumatic Injury and Claim for Continuation of Pay/Compensation
** CHAPTER 1-300 - INDEX AND CONTROL at the Department of Labor website

Websites of interest

A few websites for anyone interested on learning more about some of the common issues surrounding Iraq and American contractors and troops who served there. (Defense Base Act benefits, health and safety issues, etc). I'll be adding them to the side bar.

Ms Sparky's Mishaps & Misadventures

Host is Ms Sparky, an electrician who worked for KBR in Iraq from 2004-2007. 

American Contractors in Iraq

Host is Jana Crowder, wife of a former KBR driver who worked in Iraq. My understanding is the site grew out of a discussion board for contractors families.

Patriot Missive

Hosts are two former soldiers, Ms. Missive who served in Iraq in 2005 and Skitz M. Jones, medic in Balad, Iraq from 2005-2006. 

White Rose's Adventures

Host is Cindy Morgan, a former KBR truck driver who spent two years in Iraq. Morgan wrote a book about her experiences, "Cindy In Iraq."

DBA Comp

Host is the wife of a former Iraq contractor who returned from Iraq with severe health issues.

Iraq Slogger

News out of Iraq.

Un-Justice for a Contractor in Iraq

There's something about this story that compels me to post it here at the Missing Man.

It may be that the unidentified contractor was essentially kidnapped and held against his will for months - his family assuming he was dead. Or that the contractor worked with intelligence personnel during the course of his work. Or that the military personnel charged with the authority to investigate seemed to have abandoned the responsibility given to them. Or that he and his family have suffered financially - his employer still owes him wages.

More than likely, it's the similarity - basic accepted principals of American justice based on forensic evidence and cold hard facts stood ignored while prejudice, jealousy, innuendo and gossip found favor.

Former U.S. Contractor Alleges 9-Month Detention in Iraq
By Emma Schwartz, ABC News, December 11, 2008

For months, he worked closely with American soldiers, ferreting out threats to the troops and forging a relationship with a key sheikh who went on to lead the Sunni awakening. But when this 52-year-old translator and veteran of the U.S. Army headed for his annual leave as a contractor in Iraq, he claims he was wrongfully imprisoned for nine months by American forces, with no access to a lawyer and no contact with his family for months.

The allegations are laid out in a lawsuit against former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, recently filed in federal court in Washington where the former contractor for Titan, and a naturalized U.S. citizen, alleges that his due process rights were violated when he was detained and held in "torturous conditions." "There was no justice in what happened to me," the translator said in an exclusive hour-long phone interview with ABCNews.com. "There was no justice involved in it."

The translator's suit is filed under an alias, John Doe, because he fears for his safety and his family. But through his lawyer, Michael Kanovitz, the translator agreed to an interview about the details of his imprisonment. His case is the fourth known example of a U.S. citizen held in Iraq without a formal trial. Two other former contractors, Donald Vance and Nathan Ertel, have filed a similar suit in Chicago over their three month long detention at Camp Cropper. Another U.S. citizen, filmmaker Cyrus Kar, also filed suit over his arrest and several-week long detention, but a judge recently dismissed his suit on the grounds that the military officials had immunity.

More...

Ultra Services Procured Cars

News to me.

I stumbled upon an article from November of 2003 featuring Ryan Manelick. The article was for a Swiss news outlet by the name of 24 Heures and is in French - probably why I missed it all these years. I can't be sure but I believe it includes quotes from Omar Hadi - who I believe is referred to as "Haydar." One very interesting note: according to the article, Ryan's job included procuring cars [voitures] for the US Army.

This of course raises a very big question - did Ryan Manelick help Kirk von Ackermann buy his vehicle? I'm going to bet the answer is yes. 

I am quoting the article in full below. Another thing to note - Ryan appears to still be working for Ultra Services. There is no indication of any kind of animosity within the company.

C'est l'histoire de deux chefs d'entreprise
24 Heures, November 18, 2003

C'est l'histoire de deux chefs d'entreprise. 

Haydar a 32 ans. Il est Irakien. C'est un « intermédiaire »: il cherche ? et trouve ? des entreprises capables de répondre aux commandes des multinationales américaines en charge de la reconstruction du pays. 

Ryan Manelick, lui, a 30 ans. Il est Texan. Il n'a qu'un seul client, l'armée américaine qu'il approvisionne en unités sanitaires, électroménager, meubles, ordinateurs ou voitures d'Europe et des Etats-Unis. Et l'option « grand bazar sur la Mésopotamie » s'est avérée plus que payante. Créée en janvier dernier dans l'optique de la guerre, l'entreprise de Ryan Manelick avance un chiffre d'affaires de 12 millions de dollars sur quatre mois et emploie près de 70 locaux. 

« Jamais, nous aurions rêvé une telle réussite », confie-t-il. « Mais qui aurait pu imaginer que l'armée américaine n'aurait rien prévu pour l'après-guerre ? On leur livre même des ballots de protection. »

Faveurs et privilèges

Près d'une cinquantaine de petites entités de toutes nationalités se disputent ce marché. Les contrats sont théoriquement distribués sur la base d'appels d'offres par courriel mais Ryan admet des entorses à la règle. « Je suis Américain donc je rentre facilement dans les bases et au quartier général. Des contrats se passent parfois de gré à gré. » 

Sa nationalité se révèle en revanche handicapante lorsqu'il s'agit de faire transiter les marchandises dans le fameux triangle sunnite, bastion de la résistance. « Ce n'est pas de tout repos », consent-il. « On essuie des tirs. Mais pour l'instant, il n'y a pas de casse, heureusement. »

Haydar, quant à lui, rêverait de connaître ce genre de problème. Son chiffre d'affaire en sept mois de présence américaine ? Néant. Il n'a pourtant pas ménagé ses efforts pour obtenir des contrats, répondant aux multiples appels d'offres de Bechtel et KBR, les deux entreprises américaines qui ont décroché les plus gros contrats (respectivement 1 et 2,3 milliards de dollars). « Bechtel ne m'a jamais répondu tandis que KBR me fait des propositions insensées, explique-t-il. Ils demandent parfois 50 rouleaux de scotch, 30 pinceaux à peinture ... Mais pour qui me prennent-ils ? Ils n'ont qu'à aller au supermarché. »

L'Autorité provisoire de la coalition (CPA) n'échappe pas à sa critique. « Eux, vivent sur une autre planète. Ils passent par exemple un appel d'offres pour approvisionner en matériel informatique une équipe de 800 personnes. J'ai envoyé une proposition d'une société syrienne et j'ai reçu pour toute réponse un mail m'expliquant que, finalement d'offres n'était pas assez étayé. Est-ce ma faute s'ils ne réfléchissent pas avant de lancer une proposition ?»

Et de montrer des factures de téléphone satellite de 500 dollars, 150 dollars, dépenses occasionnées par ces démarchages. « Ils n'ont aucune manière. Avant la guerre, nous travaillions avec des sociétés russes dans le secteur pétrolier, je peux vous dire que c'était bien plus professionnel. »

De Haydar le Bagdadi à Ryan le Texan, ces deux destins aux fortunes diverses résument les débuts anarchiques de la reconstruction économique du nouvel Irak.

English Translation

My French is a little rusty. Rough translation follows - I'm sure I botched a phrase or two. Corrections very much welcome.

This is the story of two businessmen. 

Haydar is 32-years old. He is an Iraqi. He's a 'middle man.' He searches and finds companies capable of answering the demands of the American multinationals [corporations] in charge of reconstruction.

Ryan Manelick is 30-years old. He is a Texan. He has only one client, the American Army, who he supplies with portable toilets, appliances, furniture, computers or cars from Europe and America. And the option of the 'big bazaar in Mesopotamia' for more proof of who is paying. Created last January at the first hint of war, Ryan Manelick's company grew to $12 million of business in 4 months and employs 70 locals.

"Never, did we dream of this much success," he confided. "But then, who could have imagined the American Army didn't plan ahead for the post-war? Even their security is hired."

Favors and Privileges

Close to fifty small companies of all nationalities compete for business. The contracts are theoretically distributed on the basis of public requests for proposals but Ryan admits there are exceptions to the rules. "I am an American and can easily enter the bases and contracting offices. Contracts sometimes get handled in private."

His nationality, on the other hand, appears as a handicap when he moves merchandise in the famous Sunni Triangle, bastion of the resistance. "It's not peaceful", he admits. "You hear about shootings. But for now, that's not the case, happily."

Haydar has his own problems. His business after seven months of the American presence? Little to nothing. Despite his best efforts, he hasn't been able to obtain contracts, responding to multiple requests for proposals from Bechtel and KBR, the two American companies who offer the biggest contracts (respectively $1 and 2.3 million) "Bechtel never responded while KBR made ridiculous requests," he explained. "They asked for 50 bottles of Scotch, 30 paint brushes...but why ask me? Why not just go to the supermarket?"

The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) doesn't escape criticism. "Them. They live on another planet. For example, they made an appeal for software and equipment for 800 people. I delivered a proposal from a Syrian company and in response, I received an email explaining that there wasn't enough documentation to support the proposal. Is it my fault they didn't provide a description of their needs to begin with?" 

[Haydar?] shows invoices of satellite calls for 500 dollars, 150 dollars, expenditures due to the proposal."They have no manners. Before the war, we worked with the Russians in the petroleum industry. Let me tell you, they were much more professional." 

Haydar the Bagdadi and Ryan the Texan, two destinies of diverse fortunes that summarize the anarchistic debut of the economic rebuilding of a new Iraq.

Contractor Fatalities as of September 2008

From the Associated Press:

Deaths of civilian employees of U.S. government contractors as of Sept 30, 2008: 1,264

No mention of injuries or missing personnel. 

As a side note, while I was at the Defense Base Act conference in Washington DC, I spoke with someone from the Department of Labor about missing persons. His words, "we can't prove it, but we know there must be more than reported." By "we," he meant the Department of Labor. 

According to the person I spoke with, the Department of Labor is aware that in some circumstances, employers continue paying the full salary of a kidnapped or missing employee rather than file a report or claim. There's some logic behind this. For one, employers want to keep a low profile and keep their company name out of the news media. Two, keeping an individual's names out of the news may aid with recovery especially in dealing with ransom demands. Three, families facing an already stressful situation want some privacy. 

Pretty much, no one really knows how many Americans are missing in Iraq today. 

Reference

Iraq: Key figures since the war began
Julie Reed and Rhonda Shafner, Associated Press, December 1, 2008

Book - Big Boy Rules by Steve Fainaru

One of the central figures in a new non-fiction book written by Washington Post reporter Steve Fainaru is Jonathan Cote. 

Cote, who worked for Crescent Security in Iraq, was kidnapped with four of his colleagues on November 16, 2006. He was 23-years old at the time of his kidnapping. In April 2008, Cote's remains were recovered and identified. Fainaru would later discover from autopsy reports that Cote was beheaded. 

The book is up close and personal. Fainaru travelled to Iraq and rode security missions with Cote just days before the kidnappings. From what I've read about the book - Fainaru doesn't hold back.

Big Boy Rules - America's Mercenaries Fighting in Iraq
By Steve Fainaru
Da Capo Press
November 2008

Synopsis from the publisher:

"Washington Post" reporter Steve Fainaru traveled with several groups of security contractors to find out what motivates them to put their lives in danger every day. What emerges is a searing, revealing, and sometimes darkly funny look at the men who live and work on the battlefields of Iraq.

Additional Reading

Detailed new book offers deep drama of Cote saga
By Dan Herbeck, The Buffalo News, October 29, 2008

Excerpt: Fainaru is convinced that the bodies of the abducted men would never have been found if Cote’s stepmother, Nancy M. Cote, was not a prominent federal agent who headed the Buffalo office of the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration. After more than a year of fruitless efforts by the FBI, a DEA agent in Iraq got the information that led to the recoveries.

Cote’s spirit rules pages of new book
By Donn Esmonde, The Buffalo News, November 16, 2008

Satellite Image of the Road

Still searching for the perfect satellite image of the road where Kirk von Ackermann's vehicle was found.


Google maps is pretty good but the images in the library for the mountainous area are all low resolution. Still haven't found an ideal photo of the spot...but the one linked below is pretty close. It just nicks the checkpoint - near the tiny green areas on the upper left hand side. The location of the vehicle and the crossroad were just missed. If there was a second panel to the left, it'd be perfect. At least this will give a clearer idea of the topography.

GeoEye Satellite Image
Collected December 4, 2002
Area of the satellite image is shown in the map above.
LL_LAT 34.7851
LL_LON 43.9823
LR_LAT 34.7898
LR_LON 44.1217
UL_LAT 34.9399
UL_LON 43.9823
UR_LAT 34.9449
UR_LON 44.1219
Compare the image to that used in the previous post, The Passing Patrol & The Checkpoint. Locate the forked river in the upper right hand corner to get your bearings.

To find more images, visit GeoEye

Passing Patrol & the Checkpoint

Continuing my thoughts from the previous post...

A passing patrol is said to have reported Kirk von Ackermann's abandoned vehicle to a checkpoint minutes after a satellite call was placed asking for help with a flat tire. The call, believed to be from von Ackermann, was received by an Iraqi employee. The employee arrived 45 minutes later. Von Ackermann had vanished.

The critical question: how many minutes elapsed between the satellite call and the arrival of the passing patrol at the checkpoint - was it really only 5 minutes?


View Larger Map

North/East towards Kirkuk
Blue - checkpoint
Pink - abandoned vehicle
Yellow - nearest crossroad in the opposite direction of the checkpoint
South/West towards Tikrit

The journey in a military vehicle between Tikrit and Kirkuk - roughly 75 miles - was described in one news article as taking roughly 2.5 hours through the mountains. Simple math - 30 miles per hour. The distance between the checkpoint and the abandoned vehicle maps out to just over 1 mile - a 2 minute drive. The distance between the abandoned vehicle and the nearest road not in the direction of the check point, maps out to just over 1.5 miles - a 3 minute drive.

Assuming the passing patrol never stopped, super simple math says the passing patrol was only 1.5 miles behind von Acerkmann when (and if) he made the call. That places the patrol at the intersection of the nearest crossroad in the opposite direction and away from the checkpoint.

Maybe my math is a little off -- high school math was a very long time ago -- but doesn't this put the military patrol quite literally on top of von Ackermann's abductors on a narrow isolated country road? The only other option is that the kidnappers passed right through the checkpoint - and no one noticed. That's just not possible.

In the fall of 2003, US and Coalition forces were actively looking for Saddam Hussein in the Tikrit region. While it seems unlikely Hussein would have headed for Kirkuk (an area he was very unpopular in)...I find it even harder to believe American troops weren't taking fine tooth combs to every single vehicle coming from the Tikrit area.

From Point A to Point B

A passing patrol came upon Kirk von Ackermann's abandonned vehicle within a very short time of a satellite call for help to an Iraqi employee - in theory, it means the patrol was following von Ackermann for part of the route between Tikrit and Kirkuk. I keep wondering if there were points along the way that the two might have been visible to each other?

I'm also wondering...how much time did it take the passing patrol to drive from von Ackermann's vehicle to the check point? Did CID ever actually measure that distance and time exactly how long it took to drive from point A to point B?

Did CID ever attempt a re-enactment of the journey of the two vehicles?

Five Years

Five years ago today I wrote my first blog post about a missing contractor in Iraq. If you had tapped me on the shoulder and told me that I would still be following that same story five years later, I wouldn't have believed you.

Fast forward, five years later.

Because of this blog, I've 'met' a lot of people from an incredibly wide range of backgrounds. They share an interest in the events in Iraq 2003 at Ultra Services - the disappearance of Kirk von Ackermann and the death of Ryan Manelick. Today, there remain more questions than answers.

In August of 2006, the US Army's CID determined Kirk von Ackermann was abducted and killed by insurgents in a botched kidnapping attempt. A presumption of death certificate was issued for von Ackermann. The case of his colleague, Ryan Manelick, remains open.

There are those who would like to believe von Ackermann and Manelick's employer, John Dawkins, was responsible. Until proven otherwise, I believe John Dawkins is innocent. In fact, I believe Dawkins was intended to be the victim - and that Kirk von Ackermann was killed due to mistaken identity. While there may well have been fraud at Ultra Services, I don't believe it is connected to what occurred.

To be crystal clear - I am, as far as I know, the only person who believes in the above version of events.

Anaconda Burn Pit

Anaconda Burn Pit, Balad, Iraq 2006 - Photo credit: courtesy of SPC Jami Gibbs of PatriotMissive.com

Safest place in Iraq for an American to be - surrounded by the US military. So really, who'd ever think to look for the body of a missing contractor on an American military base? 

I've posted about the Anaconda* burn pile before (here). From everything I've ever read about the burn pit - it's a great place to hide a dead body. Turns out I'm not too far off - literally.

Assuming the memo cited in the article below is true, amputated limbs from the base hospital were routinely discarded on the burn pile. Commenters also say "unserviceable uniform items" refering to clothing with blood and/or body remains were also disposed of this way. So if human remains are ever uncovered at the pit, it's quite likely no one will ever think to treat those remains as evidence in an abduction-murder case. 

Hopefully I'm way off and just horribly wrong and Kirk von Ackermann was snatched by Iraqi insurgents as CID says and he was not abducted and murdered at the hands of Americans as I currently fear. 


Senior Airman Frances Gavalis tosses unserviceable uniform items into a burn pit at Balad Air Base, Iraq. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Hill AFB officer worries that Iraqi burn pit threatens troops' health
By Matthew D. LaPlante, The Salt Lake Tribune, October 29, 2008

A memo being circulated at military bases across the country, written by an officer from Hill Air Force Base, calls the pit an "acute health hazard" -- one that may have increased the risk of chronic problems for hundreds of thousands of service members and contractors who have done tours of duty at the largest base in Iraq.

As they have taken steps to end the practice, Air Force officials claim it doesn't pose a health risk.

The critical memo was written by environmental engineer Darrin Curtis, who served with the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group at Balad from September 2006 to January 2007. He expressed his dismay with the burning of toxic chemicals, plastics and other toxic waste -- including, according to some reports, amputated limbs from the base hospital -- and the lack of any apparent concern for the health of those breathing in the smoke.

According to one commenter at Military.com, the memo cited was the result of a study commissioned by Army COSCOM/CC.

Additional Reading:

[Photos] Health risk for soldiers in Balad, Iraq: The Burn Pit
by Mrs. Missive, Patriot Missive, October 30, 2008
(includes the author's photos)

[Photos] Health risk for soldiers in Balad, Iraq: The Burn Pit (crosspost)
by Mrs. Babble, American Babble, October 30, 2008
(includes the author's photos)

The Smell of Burning Flash in the Morning
By Marshall Thompson, November 3, 2008
(includes the author's photos)

Balad Burn Pit May Pose Health Risk
Reprint at Military.com, October 30, 2008

*Anaconda is now known as Joint Base Balad

Ronald Schulz - remains recovered

Ronald Allen Schulz, 40, an industrial electrician of Eagle River, Alaska and his Kurdish fiance, Susan Bushra, an interpreter for the U.S. Army, were kidnapped on November 25, 2005.

Insurgents released video footage of his execution, later viewed by family members. A presumption of death certificate was issued by a state judge in April 2006.

FBI: Remains of ND civilian recovered in Iraq
By James MacPherson, Associated Press, October 30, 2008

The remains of a North Dakota civilian taken hostage and killed in Iraq nearly three years ago have been recovered along with remains believed to be those of his fiancee, an interpreter for the military, his sister and FBI officials said.

Schulz served in the U.S. Marine Corps 1984-1991. No mention if he served in Gulf War I.

Additional Reading

Extremist group claims it killed American hostage
AP, USA Today, December 19, 2005

Iraq Court Conviction in Kidnapping

What follows is one small part of an incredibly ugly story. I feel an obligation to include the information here at the Missing Man due to its connection to kidnappings in Iraq. An Iraqi court has just handed down sentencing of several men accused of participating in the kidnapping of two American troops.

Private First Class Kristian Menchaca, 23, and Private First Class Thomas Tucker, 25, of the 1st Battalion 502nd Regiment of the 2nd Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division were captured, tortured and killed in June 2006. I'll spare the details of what was done to the corpses. 

Just this week, on Tuesday, October 28, an Iraqi court convicted a man by the name of Ibrahim Karim al-Qaraguli as a driver of one of the vehicles used during the crime. Two co-defendants were acquitted.

Iraqi court convicts U.S. soldiers' killer
By By Alissa J. Rubin, International Herald Tribune, October 28, 2008

The killings of Menchaca and Tucker were said to be in retaliation for the brutal rape of a 14-year girl by a group of U.S. troops from the same brigade. The troops murdered she and her family, including a younger sister, in what is now known as the Al-Mahmudiyah killings. To hide any evidence, the troops set the 14-year old girl's body on fire. In U.S. federal court, the trial of Pfc. Steven D. Green for murder and sexual assault remains pending. Three of his co-conspirators plead guilty and are serving long sentences. A fourth served two years for lying to protect the others.

Defense Base Act Conference

I'm in Washington D.C. to cover the Defense Base Act Conference for ePluribus Media this week. The first of what I hope to be several articles is now available:

Defense Base Act Conference - Part 1
By Susie Dow, ePluribus Media, October 23, 2008

Later this afternoon, Thomas Giblin of the U.S. Department of Labor and Roger Levy, the Editor-in-Chief of the new Defense Base Act and War Hazards Compensation Act Handbook, are scheduled to speak on the War Hazards Compensation Act, specifically - Detention Benefits. The Conference has been extremely informative to date. The Handbook is a must have for anyone interested in this relatively obscure area of workers' compensation programs.

On a more personal note, I just want to take a moment to thank the Editors at Lexis Nexis for including The Missing Man under the new Handbook's section on blogs in the Introduction to the Defense Base Act, Section 1.06 (page 1-11). 

Wow. I'm stunned. 

As some of you know, my interest in the Defense Base Act is the direct result of learning that Ultra Services wasn't carrying "insurance" when an employee, Kirk von Ackermann, disappeared in Iraq back in October of 2003. I spent two years trying to find out what happened, resulting in the article listed below. 

A brilliant intelligence analyst with the U.S. Air Force prior to becoming a contractor, Kirk von Ackermann today continues to be the longest missing American civilian in Iraq.

Additional Reading

Iraq, Contingency Contracting and the Defense Base Act - 3 part series
by Susie Dow, ePluribus Media, March 28, 2007

Defense Intelligence Agency - on hostages

A lengthy article on kidnappings based on information provided by the Defense intelligence Agency. Includes information on Kirk von Ackermann coinciding with the five year anniversary of his disappearance.

Iraq calmer but copycat kidnappings spread
By Pamela Hess, Associated Press, October 13, 2008

Five years ago, retired Air Force intelligence officer Kirk von Ackermann became the first of 39 Americans to be kidnapped in Iraq. He's still missing, his wife fearing she'll never see him again.

Besides the personal tragedy, his disappearance and those that have followed have taken on a larger significance. They mark a turning point in terrorist tactics that U.S. intelligence officials say has produced a startling statistic: a 500 percent increase in foreigners taken hostage around the world as militants adopt the methods of the most violent figures in the Iraq insurgency.

The article includes statistics on kidnappings from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) which "analyzes information about prisoners of war and those missing in action." About the DIA POW/MIA cell:

• Compiling and analyzing reams of data to build profiles of terrorist groups worldwide that use kidnapping, noting where hostages are captured, moved, released or executed.

• Predicting where future hostages may be taken, and when.

It's a little unclear, but it sounds like 9 Americans are still missing in Iraq one of whom is likely to be American Navy pilot Capt. Scott Speicher from Gulf War I. Here's the sentence from the article:

Iraq has been most dangerous for Americans, who have a better than even chance of being murdered by their captors there — an 80 percent chance if the nine still missing are factored in.

Additional Reading

Office of Hostage Affairs
September 8, 2006

Hostage Working Group
April 1, 2006

Phone Taps

On the afternoon of October 9, 2003, an Iraqi employee named Safa Shukir received a call on his cell phone purportedly from Kirk von Ackermann. The caller said he had a flat tire, was stranded in the Jabal Hamrin, and asked Shukir to come get him and 'bring a jack.' Minutes later, a passing patrol reported an abandoned vehicle.

General assumption to date is von Ackermann placed the call. Maybe he didn't.

U.S. tapped intimate calls from Americans overseas, 2 eavesdroppers say
By Greg Miller, Los Angeles Times, October 9, 2008

U.S. intelligence analysts eavesdropped on personal calls between Americans overseas and their families back home and monitored the communications of workers with the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations, according to two military linguists involved in U.S. surveillance programs. [...]

Kinne said the recordings she transcribed were mainly intercepted transmissions from satellite phones in the Middle East.

From Iraq, Kirk von Ackermann called his wife Megan who was in the U.S., on the afternoon of October 8, 2003. That call between Iraq and the U.S. should have triggered ongoing monitoring by the NSA of von Ackermann's satellite phone. Recordings taken during the time period of October 8-9th could answer the question: did someone pretend to be Kirk von Ackermann and use his satellite phone to call a young Iraqi employee for assistance?

My opinion? I think an impostor placed the call.

Related Post

Note to CID about NSA
April 21, 2008

The Bridge Theory
March 25, 2008

Baghdad to Samarra

An Iraqi journalist reports on a short road trip between Baghdad and Samarra. One interesting detail. He reports Iraqi Army checkpoints every half mile over roughly a 50 mile journey on what looks like Highway 1, the main road heading north out of Baghdad. I wonder if there's a way to find out how many check points there were along Highway 1 in 2003 and how far apart they were placed?

Checkpoints Through Iraq’s Checkerboard
Bu Mohammed Hussein, New York Times, October 3, 2008

On a journey through a region of Iraq noticeably safer than it was even several months ago - but still not free of hazards - Mohammed Hussein describes his 70-mile road trip through the political, sectarian, tribal and religious checkerboard that is modern Iraq. And the Samarra which he found at his destination, but did not recognize.

The Big Base near Balad

View Larger Map

The Really Big Military Base about 70 miles north of Baghdad, near Balad, Iraq has apparently suffered yet another name change. It is now known as Joint Base Balad. For the sake of clarity, I will continue to refer to the base as Anaconda - the name in use during the fall of 2003.

Here is a list of all of the names known to date for this one base.

Joint Base Balad
Logistics Support Area Anaconda
Life Support Area Anaconda
LSA Anaconda
Contingency Operating Base Anaconda
COB Anaconda
Foward Operating Base Anaconda
FOB Anaconda
Camp Anaconda
Forward Support Area Anaconda
FSA Anaconda
Balad Air Base (also Airbase)
Balad AB
Camp Balad
Balad Southeast
Al-Bakr Air Base (name used under Sadam Hussein)
Mortaritaville (nickname)

Reference

Renamed U.S. military base in Iraq reflects joint status
By 1st Lt. Lisa Spilinek, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs, Air Force Link, June 17, 2008

National POW/MIA Recognition Day

Today is National POW/MIA Recognition Day. Veterans groups around the nation remember those who are missing with an honors ceremony. At the center of the ceremony is a table set for six.

The Missing Man Table

A hat rests at each empty place representing Americans still missing from each of the five services -- Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard - and the civilians who work with them. A moderator explains the significance of the items at the table.

The table is round -- to show our everlasting concern for the missing.

The tablecloth is white -- symbolizing the purity of their motives when answering the call to duty.

The single red rose, displayed in a vase, reminds us of the life of each of the missing.

The vase is tied with a ribbon, symbol of our continued determination to account for the missing.

A slice of lemon on the bread plate is to remind us of the bitter fate of those captured and missing in a foreign land.

A pinch of salt symbolizes the tears endured by those missing and their families who seek answers.

The glass is inverted -- to symbolize their inability to share this toast.

The chairs are empty -- they are missing.

A photo of a Missing Man table can be found at the Washington Centerville Public Library

Americans Missing in Iraq

In some cases the entries below are very brief as information is limited. I'd like to encourage following the reference links. Ages given are those at the time of incident. Listed in chronological order. Corrections and/or additions very much welcome.

Kirk von Ackermann of Moss Beach, California missing since October 9, 2003

37-year old Contract Manager for Ultra Services of Istanbul, Turkey. 45 minutes after calling an Iraqi employee for assistance with a flat tire, von Ackermann's car was discovered abandoned. The car contained his satellite phone, laptop computer and $40,000 cash. There was no sign of struggle. Von Ackermann has not been heard from since. His colleague, Ryan Manelick, was killed in a drive by shooting shortly after claiming von Ackermann's disappearance was tied to fraud. Von Ackermann had previously served as a linguist for the US Army then as an officer with the US Air Force. The investigation was complicated by his former work with an elite joint force command counter-terrorism unit that regularly briefed the White House. The investigation remains open under the US Army CID even though CID determined he is presumed dead. Von Ackermann is married, father of 3 children.

Missing in Iraq
By Megan von Ackermann

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

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

Timothy E. Bell of Mobile, Alabama missing since April 9, 2004

45-year-old, electrician for Halliburton subsidiary KBR. Bell has been missing since the fuel convoy he was driving in was hit by gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades in an attack outside of Baghdad. Nine Americans were killed and at least 17 were injured. Thomas Hamill, truck convoy commander, was taken hostage and later set free by US forces. The remains of SSG Keith "Matt" Maupin, also missing after the attack, were recently identified. Timothy Bell is the only member of his convoy who has not been accounted for. Bell is the father of three and previously served in the US Army. He was planning to be married in the summer of 2004.

Not Knowing is the Most Frustrating
By Garry Mitchell, Associated Press, June 04, 2004

Family Of Tim Bell Not Giving Up - includes video of an interview with family
By Diana Lucio, April 23, 2008

Timothy Bell...Four Years Later
By Jessica Taloney, WKRG, April 9, 2008

CNN - includes photo

Aban Abdel Malek Mahmoud Elias also known as 'Aban Elias' of Denver, Colorado was kidnapped on May 3, 2004

45-year-old, civil engineer possibly with the US Army Corps of Engineers. Elias was kidnapped while working on a road project near Baghdad. Elias has not been heard from since he was seen blind folded in video footage aired in 2004. His mother is said to blame his kidnapping on his choice of car, a new Jeep Cherokee SUV. Elias is an Iraqi-American who had moved back to the Middle East, living in Jordan and the UAE, with his family. Married, father of three. His mother is said to have traveled to Iraq to try and gain his release.

Another American taken hostage in Iraq
MSNBC, May 6, 2004

Arab TV shows new U.S. hostage in Iraq
CNN, May 6, 2004

Iraqi Born U.S. Citizen Taken Hostage In Iraq
CNN, May 6, 2004

More Than a Year Later, American Remains Hostage in Iraq - radio interview
NPR, December 1, 2005

CNN - includes photo

Radim Sadeq Mohammed Sadeq also known as 'Dean Sadek' of Charlotte, North Carolina was kidnapped on November 2, 2004

Formerly worked for SkyLink USA at the Baghdad Airport, he was said to be working for a cell phone company under contract to the US Army at the time of his abduction. Sadek is a Lebanese American. He was kidnapped from his home in the Mansour district of Baghdad. Sadeq has not been heard from since he was seen in video footage aired in 2004. Divorced and remarried, he is the father of two sons.

Remembering the Forgotten American Hostages: Dean Sadek

CNN - includes photo

Jeffrey Ake of LaPorte, Indiana was kidnapped on April 11, 2005

Owned and operated a water-bottling equipment company, Equipment Express. Ake was installing a bottled water line that his company had manufactured when kidnapped. His abductors contacted the family shortly after he was taken, but have not been heard from since. Married, father of four children.

Third Anniversary of Jeffrey Ake's Abduction by Iraqi Terrorists
Press Release, JeffAke.com, April 9, 2008

CNN - includes photo

JeffAke.com - website

Spc. Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie (also Ahmed K. Altaie) of Ann-Arbor, Michigan was kidnapped on October 23, 2006

41-year-old Specialist in the US Army. Altaie is a linguist (translator) with the Provincial Reconstruction Team Baghdad. Married. Altaie was kidnapped with his brother-in-law when he went to visit his wife in Baghdad. His brother-in-law was quickly freed. A ransom demand was made for $250,000. Altaie has not been heard from since a proof of life video was released by his captors on February 14, 2007.

A Ransom Demand for the Missing U.S. Soldier
By Brian Bennett, Time, November 2, 2006

Abducted Altaie Seen in Video - with updates
AII POW-MIA, February 14, 2007

al-Taayie
Wikipedia, includes additional sources

Photos were found publicly displayed on the web and are intended as "fair use" under Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107. Please email me if you'd like a photo removed, changed, or added.

Previous posts

Click on the label "Missing" to view other related posts

Security

Since finishing Colin Freeman's new book, The Curse of the Al Dulaimi Hotel, I've been thinking a lot about security. In theory, Kirk von Ackermann disappeared on an isolated road in an area he had previously identified as dangerous. Ryan Manelick died in what's more or less been described as a drive by shooting.

I'd like to know more about both men's approaches to their security although I know that's not a very realistic possibility. At best, the information will be hearsay. That said, a number of the Ultra Services principals socialized and were friends with security advisers. Their contact and interaction implies both men at minimum must have known the risks.

All of this thinking on security just stirs up questions, of course.

Kirk von Ackermann*

What is known about von Ackermann's views on security?
Had he ever offered advice to the other personnel at Ultra Services?
If so, what was that advice - is there a record - say in an old email?
Did he violate his own advice the day he disappeared?
Why did he travel alone that day?
Did he ever travel alone during his prior trips to Iraq?
Did he usually use a 'fixer' or translator?
If so, who and where was that person?
Who knew his travel plans that day?

Ryan Manelick

What is known about Manelick's views on security?
What was a typical defensive practice for avoiding drive by shootings?
He had friends in security, how aware was Manelick of those practices?
Was he prepared, did he ignore advice, had he grown complacent?
Did Manelick or his driver violate common security practices?
If so, why?

It all comes down to this final question: what was it that made each man vulnerable?

Additional Reading

Review of The Curse of the al Dulaimi Hotel
By Susie Dow, ePluribus Media, August 18, 2008

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

* Assumption to date is Kirk von Ackermann disappeared between Tikrit and Kirkuk.

Omar Taleb and Omar Hadi

Two Omars.

This is a look at who they were in relation to those at Ultra Services.

Omar Taleb

Writer Daniel Halpern refers to John Dawkins' body guard in his article for Rolling Stone, Death of a Contractor.

...Omar Taleb, an official in the Iraqi police and a former helicopter pilot in the Iraqi Air Force.

That's pretty much it.

Omar Hadi

Colin Freeman dedicates a chapter of his new book, Curse of the Al Dulaimi Hotel, to the journey into Iraq, appropriately called, The Road to Baghdad. Responding to an ad on a bulletin board at the Intercontinental Hotel in Amman, Jordan, Freeman caught a ride with a British Iraqi named Omar Hadi. Hadi had hired a car and driver to make the trip into Iraq and was taking passengers.

Hadi left Iraq at age 5 and was described as speaking with a public school accent (posh in other words). He was accompanied by John Dawkins whom he was said to have met in Kazakhstan. Hadi was traveling with an elderly aunt and two Japanese filmmakers. The group traveled under the pretense they were working with Tokyo TV - which was how they got Jordanian press cards to enter Iraq.

Hadi stayed at the Al Majalis hotel and visited US bases with Dawkins. Freeman described Hadi as a "business associate" although it's unclear what that really means.

Research

Around April/May 2003, Omar Hadi and Richard Galustian founded ISI Group of Iraq, a security company. From an article first published in the newsletter Gulf State News:

A few local firms have recruited US, British and other former special forces personnel to take on the international players at their own game. ISI Group of Iraq, created by expatriate Iraqis Omar Hadi and Richard Galustian offers former British special forces operatives and says it was the first Iraqi-owned company to be awarded a security contract by the US occupying authorities.

Omar Hadi was listed on various websites as the point of contact for ISI Group. Coincidentally, Richard Galustian was quoted in Death of a Contractor:

[Ryan] Manelick had been in Iraq for less than two months, but he was already plotting to break away from Dawkins and start his own company. He talked less about idealistic notions of helping Iraqis -- now he wanted to make the big money, and he began dreaming up grand, unrealistic schemes. "Ryan had all these plans," says Richard Galustian, a contractor who befriended Manelick in Iraq, "and he could talk about them forever -- he was a wonderful talker. But he had no idea how to make them work, or how far out of his league they were." Manelick wrote to his father about the two of them starting their own security outfit, assuring him that if they acted fast there was a $100 million contract for force protection and security training he was sure they could get. The plans were far removed from reality -- he wanted to build a company from nothing and compete with giant corporations like Bechtel or Halliburton in a matter of months -- but what was real was his intense desire to break away from Dawkins and start something new.

Richard Galustian's father originally owned a company Galustian Engineering Export Company (GEECO) in Tehran before moving to the UK in the 1950's. In 1974, the son was made CEO of his father's group of companies. In 2001, Richard Galustian created Gemini Consultants in the UAE. Galustian was at some point also connected to Pilgrims Group, a "security, risk management and service support company," said to provide security to journalists (ref).

Because of the gap in time between 1974 and 2001, I'm wondering if there were two Richard Galustians, a father and his son.

Additional Reading

Death of a Contractor: Greed and Murder in Iraq's Lawless Desert
pp. 70-74, 76-69 (print version includes photos)
By Dan Halpern, Rolling Stone, March 8, 2007, Issue 1021

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

Profits questions and consolidation for private security firms lifted by the ‘Baghdad bubble’
By Gulf State News, reprinted at NGO Coordination Committee in Iraq (NCCI), November 23, 2005

In Iraq, private contractors lighten load on U.S. troops
By Borzou Daragahi, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 28, 2003

Security Companies Doing Business in Iraq as of 2004
From the US State Department, archived at Global Security

The website for ISI Group of Iraq at http://www.isiiraq.com can be seen at the Internet Archive
http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.isiiraq.com

Commercial Services in Iraq

The ISI Group of Companies is comprised of ISI Commercial Services, ISI Security, ISI Logistics and ISI International. We started operation in Iraq late April 2003. We currently employ over 100 Iraqi staff.

Ahmed Al-Taie

Spc. Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie (also Ahmed K. Altaie) of Ann-Arbor, Michigan was kidnapped on October 23, 2006

41-year-old Specialist in the US Army. Altaie is a linguist (translator) with the Provincial Reconstruction Team Baghdad. Married. Altaie was kidnapped with his brother-in-law when he went to visit his wife in Baghdad. His brother-in-law was quickly freed. A ransom demand was made for $250,000. Altaie has not been heard from since a proof of life video was released by his captors on February 14, 2007.

There's a short update this week in the Detroit newspaper. Still no word of his whereabouts.

Missing Michigan soldier's loved ones want his story told
By Korie Wilkins, Detroit Free Press, August 21, 2008

Sgt. Ahmed Al-Taie, kidnapped Oct. 23, 2006, is possibly the last U.S. soldier captured since the start of the 2003 combat operations in Iraq who has not been found. So his friends and family scan Internet sites, check e-mail, wait for phone calls and updates from the military. And they believe he's still alive, waiting to come home.

Al-Taie, a native Iraqi, joined the U.S. Army at age 40 to pursue a new career as an interpreter. He came to the United States in 1984 and recently lived in Ann Arbor.

Additional Reading

A Ransom Demand for the Missing U.S. Soldier
By Brian Bennett, Time, November 2, 2006

Abducted Altaie Seen in Video - with updates
AII POW-MIA, February 14, 2007

al-Taayie
Wikipedia, includes additional sources

The Curse of the Al Dulaimi Hotel - Pt III

This is a reprint of my original book review first posted at ePluribus Media.

Susie Dow reviews Curse of the Al Dulaimi Hotel: and other half-truths from Baghdad by Colin Freeman, now the Chief Foreign Correspondent of the Sunday Telegraph. Landing in Baghdad on May 1, 2003 as an independent journalist, Freeman's new novel reveals the story behind getting the story including the hilarious antics of his charmingly insane personal assistant, Mohammed Kadom.

August 22nd at 5.01pm. 'Colin, hello, I am Mohammed. When are you coming back?'

August 29th at 2.45pm. 'Colin, hello, I am Mohammed. Man, I have no money and needing the job most desperately. Please ring Jean-Phillipe speedily.'

September 5th at 5.25pm. 'OK, COLIN, FUCK YOU! YOU ARE MY FRIEND BUT YOU DON'T EVEN RING BACK TO ME. FUCK YOU! I WILL FIND THE NEW JOB BY MYSELVES.'

I wish I could figure out a clever way to convey to you how much fun it was to read The Curse of Al Dulaimi Hotel. I realize that's not a politically correct introduction - after all it's a non-fiction book set in Baghdad circa 2003 through 2005, people are fighting and dying and there's more than one war going on. That's not funny. But I'd be lying if I didn't just come right out and tell you the book is filled with hilarious anecdotes, many so much stranger than fiction, that they must be true and therefore are even funnier as a result. While the humor doesn't qualify as gallows, it is dark. And there were times I definitely felt like I'd accidentally stumbled into the wrong bar at the wrong moment.

'When I drove to the hotel today I saw this beautiful chick, with the huge tits and the ass,' he announced one morning, as I sat with two other foreign journalists. 'I got very erect!'

I stared at him, aghast. Had he really just said what I thought he'd said?

'Er, what do you mean, Mohammed?'

'Erect! You know. Like this!' He pointed to his groin area. The assembled company probably thought Mohammed and I regularly compared erections together.

'Er, Mohammed, I don't think that's really the right word. If a girl, er, makes you feel sexy, you say she turns you on. As in, to turn on a generator.'

'Ok, good. So, anyways, this chick turns me on like a generator...'

Author Colin Freeman holds the honor of being the last Western war correspondent to enter Iraq. His career as a war correspondent, however, was extremely short lived. Just hours after Freeman crossed the border, President George W. Bush announced the end of major hostilities.

Having ditched a steady job writing about road works at the London Evening Standard for the glamor of working in war torn Baghdad, Freeman spends the next two years writing about...roads. Stuck on roads. Driving on roads. Lost on roads. Intended or not, roads are a central theme through out the book. (Well, that and the bad whiskey.) No city today is complete without its noise and traffic. But add some desert heat, grime, guns, bad tempers, looters in stolen buses, car bombs, road side bombs, Humvees, more guns, kidnappers and journalists and it's Baghdad. A city in a country suddenly trying to find its way on its own after thirty years of being told what to do.

We plunged down the wrong way onto a dual carriageway, the cab swerving in and out of oncoming players like a rugby scrum-half heading for the tryline.

'Tell me Haider, why is it that people drive the wrong way down the road here?'

'These Iraqi drivers,' he said as if no further explanation was necessary.

'Yes, but why? Isn't it dangerous, yes?' I pointed at the cars hurtling past us on either side and grimaced and whistled.

Conversation with Haider, I realised, was going to be like playing charades. With a bit of gesturing, persistence and intelligent guesswork, the two of us could sometimes reach a breakthrough.

'Ah, we call this driving "wrong side." Same as in English. Is from Saddam time. The cars of all the big government people would drive down the wrong side, making common people get out of the way. Now everybody is free, so they want to try this themselves.'

I first became aware of Colin Freeman's work on the evening of November 9, 2003 while researching Iraq reconstruction contracts. There was an article in the UK Telegraph about a missing American contractor by the name of Kirk von Ackermann who worked for Ultra Services out of Istanbul, Turkey. The company provided logistics to the US Army. Von Ackermann disappeared the month before, his vehicle found abandoned on a road between Tikrit and Kirkuk. Colin Freeman broke the story. His primary source at the time was another Ultra Services employee, Ryan Manelick. Two months later, Manelick was killed in a drive by shooting just after leaving a meeting at a base near Balad. Shortly before he was killed, Manelick had alleged von Ackermann's disappearance was connected to fraud and that it involved US Army officers. Colin Freeman broke that story as well.

Ultra Services weaves in and out of The Curse of al Dulaimi Hotel, appearing as early as page 26 with the introduction of one of the company principals, John Dawkins. Freeman shared his first ride into Iraq with Dawkins and another colleague, Omar. Freeman also spent his first night at the same hotel in Baghdad as Dawkins, the Al Majalis, eventually settling in as a regular.

Before I give the wrong impression that The Curse of al Dulaimi Hotel is all about Ultra Services or kidnappings and murders - which in part it is because it's also about Iraq - let me more properly introduce you to one of the stars of the book, former Staff Colonel Mohammed Kadom. The Colonel is Colin Freeman's first 'fixer' in Baghdad.

To get around, an English speaking journalist needs someone to handle logistics, translation, security, some driving and a little bit of haggling - in short, a 'fixer.' A former Iraqi officer and Ba'ath party member, the Colonel looked like Burt Reynolds circa 1980 and liked to listen to the Bee Gees.

What made it all infinitely more bearable was having Mohammed around. I was now the envy of other journalists. Very few had a translator who was simultaneously fluent, hardworking, streetwise and good company. Occasionally other reporters even tried to poach him off with offers of better money. Touchingly, he always told them his first loyalty was to Mr. Colin, the man who'd first given him a job when he'd been cruising the streets as a cabbie. Actually, it turned out he hadn't really been doing that. Over a beer one night he confessed that he'd actually been selling guns at the time. The day he picked me up, he'd had a stash of Kalashnikovs in the back of the Nissan.

In need of the promise of a steady paycheck, the Colonel eventually went to work for Ryan Manelick, also securing jobs at the company for his brothers.

I don't want to give too much away or it will ruin the joy of discovery. Suffice it to say, there's some thing for every one in The Curse of al Dulaimi Hotel. News junkies will get high from the constant buzz of deja vu as people, places, and events pop off the pages. The deja vu is in itself a strange sensation: an undercurrent of invisible context that readers 50 years from now just won't be able to fully appreciate. Car bombings - you saw the images on the news played over and over again - Freeman heard and sometimes felt the blast. The Palestine Hotel. Fallujah. Basra. Tikrit. James Brandon. Georges Malbrunot and Jill Caroll - both neighbors in the same hotel. (Carroll plays darts.)

For the armchair traveler, an upfront and personal introduction to hotel rooms, a brothel or two, and bathroom facilities you'll never ever have to confront in person. Just the description of some of the rooms made me itchy. There's not too much about food. Freeman spares us the tell tale signs of gas pains before the arrival of diarrhea (Thank you, Colin) but only just barely. For the armchair adventurer, there's no shortage of danger, complete with a detailed description of what it feels like to be shot in the arse.

My only complaint, if I had one, is I wish I could have heard the stories in person over a pint.

The Curse of the Al Dulaimi Hotel: and other half-truths from Baghdad
By Colin Freeman
Monday Books, July 2008
ISBN-10: 1906308020
ISBN-13: 978-1906308025
272 pages

Colin Freeman is now the Chief Foreign Correspondent for the Sunday Telegraph in London.

The Curse of the Al Dulaimi Hotel

This is a repost of my book review, Review of The Curse of the al Dulaimi Hotel
By Susie Dow, ePluribus Media, August 18, 2008.

Landing in Baghdad on May 1, 2003 as an independent journalist, Colin Freeman's new book reveals the story behind getting the story including the hilarious antics of his charmingly insane personal assistant, Mohammed Kadom. Colin Freeman is now the Chief Foreign Correspondent of the Sunday Telegraph.

August 22nd at 5.01pm. 'Colin, hello, I am Mohammed. When are you coming back?'

August 29th at 2.45pm. 'Colin, hello, I am Mohammed. Man, I have no money and needing the job most desperately. Please ring Jean-Phillipe speedily.'

September 5th at 5.25pm. 'OK, COLIN, FUCK YOU! YOU ARE MY FRIEND BUT YOU DON'T EVEN RING BACK TO ME. FUCK YOU! I WILL FIND THE NEW JOB BY MYSELVES.'

I wish I could figure out a clever way to convey to you how much fun it was to read The Curse of Al Dulaimi Hotel. I realize that's not a politically correct introduction - after all it's a non-fiction book set in Baghdad circa 2003 through 2005, people are fighting and dying and there's more than one war going on. That's not funny. But I'd be lying if I didn't just come right out and tell you the book is filled with hilarious anecdotes, many so much stranger than fiction, that they must be true and therefore are even funnier as a result. While the humor doesn't qualify as gallows, it is dark. And there were times I definitely felt like I'd accidentally stumbled into the wrong bar at the wrong moment.

'When I drove to the hotel today I saw this beautiful chick, with the huge tits and the ass,' he announced one morning, as I sat with two other foreign journalists. 'I got very erect!'

I stared at him, aghast. Had he really just said what I thought he'd said?

'Er, what do you mean, Mohammed?'

'Erect! You know. Like this!' He pointed to his groin area. The assembled company probably thought Mohammed and I regularly compared erections together.

'Er, Mohammed, I don't think that's really the right word. If a girl, er, makes you feel sexy, you say she turns you on. As in, to turn on a generator.'

'Ok, good. So, anyways, this chick turns me on like a generator...'

Author Colin Freeman holds the honor of being the last Western war correspondent to enter Iraq. His career as a war correspondent, however, was extremely short lived. Just hours after Freeman crossed the border, President George W. Bush announced the end of major hostilities.

Having ditched a steady job writing about road works at the London Evening Standard for the glamor of working in war torn Baghdad, Freeman spends the next two years writing about...roads. Stuck on roads. Driving on roads. Lost on roads. Intended or not, roads are a central theme through out the book. (Well, that and the bad whiskey.) No city today is complete without its noise and traffic. But add some desert heat, grime, guns, bad tempers, looters in stolen buses, car bombs, road side bombs, Humvees, more guns, kidnappers and journalists and it's Baghdad. A city in a country suddenly trying to find its way on its own after thirty years of being told what to do.

We plunged down the wrong way onto a dual carriageway, the cab swerving in and out of oncoming players like a rugby scrum-half heading for the tryline.

'Tell me Haider, why is it that people drive the wrong way down the road here?'

'These Iraqi drivers,' he said as if no further explanation was necessary.

'Yes, but why? Isn't it dangerous, yes?' I pointed at the cars hurtling past us on either side and grimaced and whistled.

Conversation with Haider, I realised, was going to be like playing charades. With a bit of gesturing, persistence and intelligent guesswork, the two of us could sometimes reach a breakthrough.

'Ah, we call this driving "wrong side." Same as in English. Is from Saddam time. The cars of all the big government people would drive down the wrong side, making common people get out of the way. Now everybody is free, so they want to try this themselves.'

I first became aware of Colin Freeman's work on the evening of November 9, 2003 while researching Iraq reconstruction contracts. There was an article in the UK Telegraph about a missing American contractor by the name of Kirk von Ackermann who worked for Ultra Services out of Istanbul, Turkey. The company provided logistics to the US Army. Von Ackermann disappeared the month before, his vehicle found abandoned on a road between Tikrit and Kirkuk. Colin Freeman broke the story. His primary source at the time was another Ultra Services employee, Ryan Manelick. Two months later, Manelick was killed in a drive by shooting just after leaving a meeting at a base near Balad. Shortly before he was killed, Manelick had alleged von Ackermann's disappearance was connected to fraud and that it involved US Army officers. Colin Freeman broke that story as well.

Ultra Services weaves in and out of The Curse of al Dulaimi Hotel, appearing as early as page 26 with the introduction of one of the company principals, John Dawkins. Freeman shared his first ride into Iraq with Dawkins and another colleague, Omar. Freeman also spent his first night at the same hotel in Baghdad as Dawkins, the Al Majalis, eventually settling in as a regular.

Before I give the wrong impression that The Curse of al Dulaimi Hotel is all about Ultra Services or kidnappings and murders - which in part it is because it's also about Iraq - let me more properly introduce you to one of the stars of the book, former Staff Colonel Mohammed Kadom. The Colonel is Colin Freeman's first 'fixer' in Baghdad.

To get around, an English speaking journalist needs someone to handle logistics, translation, security, some driving and a little bit of haggling - in short, a 'fixer.' A former Iraqi officer and Ba'ath party member, the Colonel looked like Burt Reynolds circa 1980 and liked to listen to the Bee Gees.

What made it all infinitely more bearable was having Mohammed around. I was now the envy of other journalists. Very few had a translator who was simultaneously fluent, hardworking, streetwise and good company. Occasionally other reporters even tried to poach him off with offers of better money. Touchingly, he always told them his first loyalty was to Mr. Colin, the man who'd first given him a job when he'd been cruising the streets as a cabbie. Actually, it turned out he hadn't really been doing that. Over a beer one night he confessed that he'd actually been selling guns at the time. The day he picked me up, he'd had a stash of Kalashnikovs in the back of the Nissan.

In need of the promise of a steady paycheck, the Colonel eventually went to work for Ryan Manelick, also securing jobs at the company for his brothers.

I don't want to give too much away or it will ruin the joy of discovery. Suffice it to say, there's some thing for every one in The Curse of al Dulaimi Hotel. News junkies will get high from the constant buzz of deja vu as people, places, and events pop off the pages. The deja vu is in itself a strange sensation: an undercurrent of invisible context that readers 50 years from now just won't be able to fully appreciate. Car bombings - you saw the images on the news played over and over again - Freeman heard and sometimes felt the blast. The Palestine Hotel. Fallujah. Basra. Tikrit. James Brandon. Georges Malbrunot and Jill Caroll - both neighbors in the same hotel. (Carroll plays darts.)

For the armchair traveler, an upfront and personal introduction to hotel rooms, a brothel or two, and bathroom facilities you'll never ever have to confront in person. Just the description of some of the rooms made me itchy. There's not too much about food. Freeman spares us the tell tale signs of gas pains before the arrival of diarrhea (Thank you, Colin) but only just barely. For the armchair adventurer, there's no shortage of danger, complete with a detailed description of what it feels like to be shot in the arse.

My only complaint, if I had one, is I wish I could have heard the stories in person over a pint.

---

The Curse of the Al Dulaimi Hotel: and other half-truths from Baghdad
By Colin Freeman
Monday Books, July 2008
ISBN-10: 1906308020
ISBN-13: 978-1906308025
272 pages

Colin Freeman is now the Chief Foreign Correspondent for the Sunday Telegraph in London.

Curse of the al Dulaimi Hotel - Pt II

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It's hilarious. Colin Freeman's former 'fixer,' Mohammed Kadom, should star in his own reality television series. There's a book review at ePluribus Media for those who might be interested.

A few pieces of information came to light in the book. Most notable, I was unaware that Charles Phillips was in Baghdad the week after Kirk von Ackermann disappeared. As close friends, it's surprising he didn't take more of an interest in securing von Ackermann's personal effects. After all, Phillips brought von Ackermann to Iraq. I realize work doesn't come to a stand still. But at the same time, no one collected his belongings in an orderly manner? It's not clear how long Phillips had been in Iraq.

So, new question: when did Charles Phillips first arrive in country?

Colin Freeman describes visiting the spot where Kirk von Ackermann's vehicle was found on the road between Tikrit and Kirkuk. This is the only first hand description in the public domain that I am aware of.

Excerpt from page 136:

A few days later, I drove with Saba and Ali up to the area where Kirk had disappeared, to ask a few questions. I'd heard that a local Iraqi police chief was on the case; perhaps he might spill some details that Ryan and Co were keeping quiet. It turned out he'd recently been sacked after some row with a rival, with none of his successors briefed about the disappearance. Later on, though, when I tracked him down to his house, I found him still in uniform with a dozen odd policemen at his disposal, running what seemed to be some kind of parallel force. He claimed to know John Dawkins, and said he had turned up not long before with photocopied pictures of Kirk, asking if anyone had seen him. He directed us to the spot where Kirk had vanished. It was near the brow of a long, winding hilltop road, miles from anywhere and surrounded by rocky outcrops. A long way from any help if you got yourself in a tight spot. At the bottom of the other side of the hill, there was a US Army checkpoint, where Dawkins had handed over a copy of Kirk's photograph. But during troop changeovers, no information was passed on about the case. The newcomers were unaware of who Kirk was, or why they had his photo. In a land where hundreds were dying or disappearing each week, no one had resources to spend time looking for another missing person.

Here's an uncomfortable question: was the check point visible from the very top of the hill?

Additional Reading

Review of The Curse of the al Dulaimi Hotel
By Susie Dow, ePluribus Media, August 18, 2008

Description: Landing in Baghdad on May 1, 2003 as an independent journalist, Colin Freeman's new book reveals the story behind getting the story including the hilarious antics of his charmingly insane personal assistant, Mohammed Kadom. Colin Freeman is now the Chief Foreign Correspondent of the Sunday Telegraph.

Curse of the al Dulaimi Hotel - Pt I (image)
August 4, 2008

Curse of the al Dulaimi Hotel - Pt I

Colin Freeman, the journalist who first broke the story of Kirk von Ackermann and Ryan Manelick, has a new book out on his experiences in Iraq. I understand it includes a section on their story.

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

Publishers description:

Colin Freeman is a burnt-out newspaper hack, wasting his life hanging around outside the houses of minor celebrities. His job is soul-destroyingly pointless and his personal life isn't much better. His girlfriend wants commitment he can't give and the future looks bleak. So he jacks it all in and goes to Iraq – as Britain's most amateur war correspondent. Shacked up in a filthy $5 a night hotel, he finds a city – and a country – in turmoil. Half the people he meets are mad, drunk or fanatical (and armed to the teeth) and the other half are trying to rebuild their lives after George Bush's invasion. Against the odds, Freeman finds his feet as a reporter and reveals a slice of Iraq unlike any other and gets shot in the backside for his troubles.

Additional Reading

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

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