Wandering Patrols

There's a new book out, The Will to Resist: Soldiers Who refuse to Fight in Iraq and Afghanistan by Dahr Jamail. Leaving aside the political overtones of the book, what's of specific interest to the Missing Man is the autonomous behavior of some military patrols in Iraq as described by the author. 

Interview with Dahr Jamail
The Lionel Show on Air America, By Avery Trufelman, July 20, 2009

Dahr Jamail, author of The Will To Resist:Soldiers Who Refuse to Fight in Iraq and Afghanistan told Lionel this morning that many platoons have adopted the practice of going on "search and avoid" missions (rather than "search and destroy"), where a platoon ends their patrol route and parks their hummer in the middle of a field, occasionally calling in to command to claim they are still searching for weapons. According to one corporal Jamail spoke with, this happened "every other day."

Kirk von Ackermann's vehicle was first reported as abandoned by a passing military patrol to a nearby checkpoint. Where was that passing patrol from, where were they going, where were they supposed to be, and what were they supposed to be doing?

Just how much leeway did a patrol ultimately have in deciding where it could travel within Iraq back in 2003 - could they really just wander around freely as long as they routinely checked in by radio?

The Will to Resist: Soldiers Who refuse to Fight in Iraq and Afghanistan
By Dahr Jamail, Haymarket Books, July 2009
ISBN 9781931859882

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Satellite Image of the Road - map & link
November 22, 2008

Passing Patrol & the Checkpoint - map, satellite image
November 21, 2008

From Point A to Point B
November 20, 2008

Missing Contractor: U.S. Military Mechanics May Hold the Keys By Susie Dow, ePluribus Media, April 21, 2008

Update on Kitterman

According to an article in the Washington Times, an unidentified American man is said to be responsible for the brutal murder of contractor Jim Kitterman. Apparently, the assailant was himself killed not long after. In the general time frame of the murder, at least four other  Americans are known to have been killed in Iraq: in a roadside bombing, attorney Terry Barnich, a State Department civilian and two un-named security personnel accompanying him; and an unknown victim of a rocket attack in the Green Zone [ed. note: Larry Eugene Young]. 

Americans held in Iraq: FBI violated rights
By Bill Gertz, Washington Times, July 20, 2009

A total of five men [Donald Feeney Jr., his son Donald Feeney III, Mark Bridges, Micah Milligan and Jason Jones] were first arrested by FBI agents, Iraqi police and U.S. Army personnel in Baghdad's Green Zone on June 3 after the killing of American contractor Jim Kitterman, who was found stabbed to death in Baghdad May 22.

The men were later cleared of the murder charges by the Iraqi government, based on testimony from two Iraqi witnesses. A translated Iraqi court document stated that an investigator informed the judge in the case that the witnesses had testified that the murder was committed by an American man who was himself killed around the time of the Kitterman murder.

Additional Reading

State Dept. worker, long known in Ill. politics, dies in Iraq
By Aamer Madhani, USA TODAY, May 26, 2009

New Satellite Imagery

Google maps has an updated satellite photo of the road between Tikrit and Kirkuk of much higher resolution than was previously available. It sure looks like there's just nothing there but rocks.

Yellow marker - nearest crossroad and estimated distance to passing patrol
Pink marker - location of Kirk von Ackermann's vehicle

Blue marker - check point

The road looks relatively smooth. Why didn't von Ackermann drive on his rim to the check point?



View Checkpoint in a larger map

Addendum

Detailed arial photos of some of the mountain ridge can be seen at Panoramio in a portfolio by bwheat32. This photo in particular gives a good idea of the "rocky outcroppings" among which von Ackermann's vehicle was found.

Related Posts

Satellite Image of the Road - map & link
November 22, 2008

Passing Patrol & the Checkpoint - map, satellite image
November 21, 2008

From Point A to Point B
November 20, 2008

Kirk von Ackermann's Nissan Patrol SUV (images)
March 5, 2008

The Tikrit & Kirkuk Road (video, satellite image, photos)
January 24, 2008

Kirk's Car
December 4, 2007