Sunday, August 01, 2010

Americans Missing in Iraq

LAST UPDATED: January 23, 2011

Attached is a chart showing the incident date, name, link to incident report (SIGACT) when available, and status of those Americans known to be missing and/or held hostage in Iraq in table format.

Text of available SIGACT reports are now posted at the Missing Man, SIGACT Reports of Americans Missing in Iraq.

I will continue to update this post as new information comes to light.

REVISIONS

August 9, 2010 - based on National Counterterrorism Center data and statistics included in the annual Country Reports on Terrorism from the US Department of State

October 14, 2010 - addition of the name of Abbas Kareem Naama (Tim Naama) who was kidnapped on the morning of September 27, 2005 in Baghdad, Iraq.

October 23, 2010 - (ongoing) adding links to the initial incident reports as I find them at WikiLeaks Iraq War Logs

December 19, 2010 - corrected date of the abduction of Tom Fox to November 26, 2005. 

January 23, 2011 - in all likelihood, the name 'Bob Hamza' should be included in the chart below but his nationality and the date of his abduction remains unknown. See Bob Hamza - missing
Americans Missing in Iraq - as of January 23, 2011

(Note: reference links in the chart are currently inactive. For active links, see SIGACT Reports of Americans Missing in Iraq.)

DateName - incident reportStatus
1Oct 9, 2003Kirk von Ackermannmissing1
2Apr 9, 2004Thomas Hamill (see note above)escaped
3Apr 9, 2004Nicholas Evan Bergdeceased
4Apr 9, 2004William Bradleydeceased
5Apr 9, 2004Pfc Keith Matthew Maupindeceased
6Apr 9, 2004Timothy E Bellmissing2
7May 3, 2004Aban Eliasmissing3
8Aug 13, 2004Micah Garenreleased
9Sept 16, 2004Jack Henlseydeceased
10Sept 16, 2004Olin Eugene Armstrong Jrdeceased
11Oct 10, 2004Paul Taggartreleased
12Nov 1, 2004Roy Hallumsreleased
13Nov 2, 2004Dean Sadekmissing4
14Apr 11, 2005Jeffrey Akemissing5
15May 17, 2005unknown - incident?missing6
16Aug 2, 2005Steven Charles Vincentdeceased
17Sept 27, 2005Abbas Kareem Naama (Tim)missing7
18Nov 25, 2005Ronald Alan Schulz deceased
19Nov 26, 2005Thomas William Foxdeceased
20Dec 2, 2005unknownmissing8
21Jan 7, 2006Jill Carrollreleased
22Jun 16, 2006Pfc Kristian Menchacadeceased
23Jun 16, 2006Pfc Thomas Tuckerdeceased
24Oct 23, 2006Sgt Ahmed Qusai al-Taayiemissing9
25Nov 16, 2006Jonathon Michael Cotedeceased
26Nov 16, 2006Paul Christopher Johnson-Reubendeceased
27Nov 16, 2006Joshua Mark Munnsdeceased
28Nov 16, 2006John Roy Youngdeceased
29Nov 27, 2006Maj Troy Lee Gilbert (deceased)missing10
30Jan 5, 2007Ronald J Withrowdeceased
31Jan 27, 2007unknown - incident?missing11
32Jan 27, 2007unknown - incident?missing12
33Feb 1, 2007unknown Iraqi-American citizenmissing13
34Mar 3, 2007unknown American-Iraqi citizenmissing14
35Apr 25, 2007unknownmissing15
36May 12, 2007Sgt Alex Ramon Jimenezdeceased
37May 12, 2007Pfc Byron W Foutydeceased
38May 25, 2007unknownmissing16
39Aug 17, 2007unknownmissing17
40summer 2008unknownmissing18
41May 21, 2009Jim Kittermandeceased
42Jan 23, 2010Issa T Salomireleased

Not included in the chart (at this time) are the troops taken POW (status: missing) during the invasion of March 2003. All were Returned to Military Control:
Spc. Edgar Hernandez
Spc. Joseph Hudson
Spc. Shoshana Johnson
Pfc. Patrick Miller
Sgt. James Riley
Pfc. Jessica Lynch
Chief warrant officer David Williams
Chief warrant officer Ronald Young Jr.
US Navy pilot Capt. Michael Scott Speicher, shot down during Gulf War I, is also not included. Speicher's remains were recovered in August of 2009.

Additions/corrections are welcome, please email me at susie.dow at gmail.com

About the Data

Links to the initial incident reports have been culled from the WikiLeaks Iraq War Logs. Incident reports should more properly be referred to as 'SIGACT,' short for 'Significant Activity' or 'Significant Action.'
  • the data is based on news reports which often contradict each other
  • an article from April 2010 (US Operation aims to find missing) cites 11 missing Americans
  • a February 2010 article cites 17 missing (They search if someone's missing in Iraq) which conflicts with the current count of 18. Think positive, let's assume someone was released.
  • an article from October 2008 cites a total of 39 kidnapped Americans of which 22 are known to have been executed (Iraq calmer but copycat kidnappings spread). The chart above was started with 39 kidnapped Americans as a base line.
  • the data represents the minimum number of missing Americans. Companies and/or families may deliberately choose not report a hostage or kidnap victim to US government agencies. I was told by one representative of the Department of Labor that they were aware of unreported contractors missing in Iraq.
  • not all names of those missing - both past and present - are known and/or publicized for a number of reasons
  • Technically, the status of 'released' should more properly be referred to as 'Returned to Military Control' (RMC)

References

Iraq War Logs
Alternative WikiLeaks mirror site
WikiLeaks, October 22, 2010

Data on Kidnappings from the State Department 
Summary of the findings of the reports for 2005 - 2009
August 8, 2010

Terrorism Deaths, Injuries, Kidnappings of Private U.S. Citizens, 2009
Country Reports on Terrorism 2009
US Department of State

Terrorism Deaths, Injuries, Kidnappings of Private U.S. Citizens
Country Reports on Terrorism 2007
US Department of State

Terrorism Deaths, Injuries, Kidnappings of Private U.S. Citizens
Country Reports on Terrorism 2006
US Department of State

Terrorism Deaths, Injuries, Kidnappings of Private U.S. Citizens
Country Reports on Terrorism 2005
US Department of State

Liberator II continues effort to find missing
By Sgt. 1st Class Roger Dey, April 20, 2010

US operation aims to find missing
By Sgt. 1st Class Roger Dey, 103rd Public Affairs Detachment, April 21, 2010

They search if someone’s missing in Iraq
By Scott Fontaine, The News Tribune, February 8, 2010

Officials confirm kidnapping of U.S. contractor in Iraq
By Ernesto Londoño and Leila Fadel, Washington Post, February 6, 2010

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

1 comment:

Susie Dow said...

Thank you for providing information on the kidnapping of Abbas Kareem Naama - Tim Naama. I have added his name to the list above.