The Missing Man

Body of Alan McMenemy delivered to embassy

2012-01-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

Body of Iraq hostage Alan McMenemy handed over to Baghdad embassy
By Conal Urquhart, Guardian, January 20, 2012

The body of a Briton, who was taken hostage in Iraq and later killed, has been handed over to the British embassy in Baghdad, it was announced on Friday.

Alan McMenemy, a security guard from Glasgow, was abducted in 2007 as he and three colleagues were guarding a computer consultant working in the Iraqi ministry of finance. Scores of militia men disguised as police officers took over the ministry and abducted the five Britons.

Why did it take so long to return his body?

Related

Hostage Remains to be Returned
January 5, 2012

Iraq militants refuse to hand over Briton
By Ahmad al-Rubaye, AFP, July 9, 2011

Alan McMenemy of Scotland
March 21, 2010

Hostage Remains to be Returned

2012-01-05T07:15:00.000-08:00

Breaking news this morning from the BBC in London regarding Alan McMenemy, the last of the security guards seized as hostages in 2007.

Iraqi militia offer to return Briton Alan McMenemy's body
BBC, January 5, 2012

The Iraqi militia that kidnapped five Britons in 2007 has said it will hand over the body of the last missing man, who it said was "killed in a clash".

UK authorities had suspected Alan McMenemy, 34, from Glasgow, was dead.

My sincere condolences to his friends and family.

Related

Iraq militants refuse to hand over Briton
By Ahmad al-Rubaye, AFP, July 9, 2011

Alan McMenemy of Scotland
March 21, 2010

Missing iPad Article

2011-12-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

An iPad article includes an interview with members of the von Ackermann family.

Agony Over Missing
By Kase Wickham, The Daily, December 25, 2011

Also a short summary at The Daily blog:Americans won’t be home for Christmas because they’re still missing in Iraq
The Daily blog, December 25, 2011

Although Operation Iraqi Freedom ended last week, the families of 4 Americans still officially categorized as missing in Iraq haven’t stopped searching yet.

Unfortunately, I don't have an iPad so I don't have access to the article. I guess this means I am officially entering into the knowledge divide of the haves and the have nots.

The Unknown

2011-12-19T14:37:00.000-08:00

Now that the War in Iraq is winding down, there's some renewed interest in those Americans still missing in Iraq.

By my own primitive accounting standards, there are 18 missing Americans - a number that includes those presumed deceased. A name - a person - remains on the list until their remains are found and identified.

The List includes 9 unknown names. That unknowingess is uncomfortable. There's something lonely about a missing person who is also unidentified. Somewhere out there, someone knows them.

An eccentric elderly man who lived in my neighborhood passed away a few months back. I just recently found out his body is still lying in a refrigerator at the morgue, waiting for family to come and claim him. Problem is, he was mentally ill. He was quiet, polite, orderly, well-spoken and totally out of touch with reality. He saw coded messages in donut displays about clandestine deliveries of Chinese missile.

It's a bit of a guess if he really has any family. Some bits and pieces of his life were true - he really was a lawyer who graduated from an Ivy League school - but a great cloud of mystery hangs over much of what he shared during a cup of coffee. But here's the thing - he knew people and he had friends. He still has friends and we're trying to figure out what to do about his body at the morgue so he doesn't end up in an unmarked grave.

It's in that same spirit, that I'd really like to find the names that belong to the Unknown missing, fitting together a broken world.

Americans Missing in Iraq - table of names last updated on August 13, 2011

Eight Years of Godot

2011-11-12T01:04:00.000-08:00

Strange how time passes so quickly.

The first blog post I ever wrote about the strange disappearance of Kirk von Ackermann was eight years ago today. At the time, the post quoted a short blurb from a San Diego, California television station. A longer story appeared in the UK Telegraph followed by the San Francisco Chronicle - both written by Colin Freeman. Von Ackermann is still missing and is, in fact, the longest missing American in Iraq.

A little over two months after von Ackermann disappeared, his colleague, Ryan Manelick, was killed in a drive by shooting, on his birthday no less. Colin Freeman again wrote an article about Manelick's death but it took over a year before it was published.

Well, still here. Still waiting for something. Call it, Godot.

On blogging & secrecy

2011-09-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

Over the years, a wide range of people of diverse backgrounds have been gracious enough to write to me. It's rather stunning really. I'm extremely grateful that they were willing to share their knowledge and experience with me.

Some correspondents I have had the pleasure to meet in person. Such meetings allow greater discussion and frankly, the ability to discuss things that just can't be put in writing for a variety of reasons. Reasons such as privacy, national security issues, classified information, possible slander or libel, and just protecting sources because they don't want to be identified. There's some information I still sit on years after the fact just because I feel it would unnecessarily hurt some folks feelings. I'm a bit of a softee that way.

I'll give an example.

I know who hijacked the domain registration for John Dawkins company mesopotamiagroup.com and I know why the person(s) did it. Here's the thing. The actual hijacking - who did it and why - is not important. But what is important is what the hijacking tells us about the interpersonal dynamics behind the scenes at Dawkins' predecessor logistics company, Ultra Services. Those interpersonal dynamics are vitally important to understanding the various parties different motivations. It is my own belief that understanding these motivations is the key to unlock the mystery of what happened to Kirk von Ackermann and Ryan Manelick back in 2003.

So there's one minor secret that I don't feel I can reveal in public.

There are at minimum two more secrets that I would like to reveal but can't for the various reasons listed above. I trust the different sources and have no reason to doubt the veracity of the information. Assuming it's true, it should take investigators less than 2 weeks to solve both the disappearance of Kirk von Ackermann and the murder of his colleague, Ryan Manelick. It is my understanding that investigators have access to the same information that I do but bias and a predisposition to a presumption of guilt has slightly derailed their case. One of these days a fresh set of eyes will pick up the cold case files from CID and set things back on course.

Meanwhile, bit by bit, it does seem that secrets eventually out themselves. A recent outing, of course, being the name of the counter terrorism group that Kirk von Ackermann was a member of - DO5 or the Asymmetric Threat Division.

So that's one down with more still to come. It's just a matter of time.

Hopefully, I'll still be around to link to the final story and write the closing post for this blog.

Ryan Manelick Remembered

2011-09-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

Brief mention today of Ryan Manelick in a memorial article at the Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era. According to his obituary, he had family in the area, his mother and grandfather. His remains were eventually buried there. Manelick and Kirk von Ackermann were two of Iraq's earliest civilian casualties.

9/11: A decade of personal tragedy for countians
By Jon Rutter, Lancaster Online, September 11, 2011

A total of 18 men and one woman with ties to Lancaster County have been lost as a consequence of the decade-long war on terror. [...]

A second theater of war opened in Iraq in March 2003, with the George W. Bush administration contending that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was hiding weapons of mass destruction.

Lancaster County's military-related casualties began in 2003, when Ryan Manelick, a defense contractor, was shot and killed in Baghdad.

Actually, Ryan Manelick was killed about an hour outside of Baghdad, just south of Balad, in what was reported as 'Addujayal, Iraq' - likely Al Dujail - in a report issued by the US Department of State (see reference here). A map of the area is below.

The murder of Ryan Manelick remains unsolved.

View al Dujail, Iraq in a larger map

DO5 in the News

2011-09-09T22:48:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey Kaye and Jason Leopold have a new article on the former military intelligence unit, DO5, and its work tracking Osama bin Laden over at Truthout. Kirk von Ackermann, the longest missing American in Iraq, while serving in the US Air Force, was a member of DO5. DO5 also known as the Asymmetric Threat Division, was created by the Director of Intelligence of Joint Forces Command.

New Documents Suggest DoD Watchdog Covered Up Intelligence Unit's Work Tracking 9/11 Terrorists
By Jeffrey Kaye and Jason Leopold
Truthout, September 9, 2011

Declassified powerpoint slides obtained by FOIA accompany the article. I'm a bit curious if anyone has filed an FOIA for the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) mentioned on Slide #2. (I like paper trails....)

Also worth your attention, there's an interview with author Jeffrey Kaye on theReal News.com discussing his research.

So. Still blogging. Anniversary of Kirk von Ackermann's disappearance is coming up - number 8. And still no answers.

Addendum:

Additional commentary and discussion with Jeffrey Kaye over at the Dissenter at FireDogLake.

IG Report Cover-up: Top Military Officials Hid Evidence of Pre-9/11 Al Qaeda Intelligence
By Jeffrey Kaye, September 10, 2011

In particular, Kaye's commentary is worth reading carefully. He notes, "...The falsification was meant in particular to hide the work of the 9-person unit within JFIC, known as the Asymmetrical Threats Division, or DO5 in military lingo."

The following 6 individuals were at some point associated with the Asymmetric Threat Division during the tenure of Captain Kirk von Ackermann between November 1999 into 2000 (exact end date unknown).

Commander Rear Admiral Rose LeVitre, USN
Director Captain Janice M. Dundas USN
Captain Stephen F. Santez Jr., USN
Division Head Major Oliver Wright III, US Army
Deputy Division Head John Rodriguez NCIS
Captain Kirk von Ackermann USAF

Abbas Naama

2011-08-14T13:56:00.000-07:00

Video at MSNBC: The Road Back with Tom Brokaw

Tom Brokaw reports a story that follows three families through the war in Iraq. From 2002, before the war in Iraq, until present day, Brokaw chronicles the lives of an American soldier who fought in the war; an Iraqi family who was living under the tyranny of Saddam Hussein and an Iraqi American family that returned to Iraq to rebuild their homeland.

Abbas Kareem (Tim) Naama returned to Iraq but has been missing since he was abducted in Baghdad on September 27, 2005.

There are several interviews with Lieutenant Colonel Kate Van Auken (US Army) who I am going to guess is with the Defense Prisoner of War Missing Personnel Office (DPMO). In Part 6, she is seen handling flyers, with two brief views of missing Americans, Dean Sadek and Aban Elias.

Additional commentary from the MSNBC producer:

On the road back, Americans go missing in Iraq

By Justin Balding, Dateline NBC, August 7, 2011

Abbas Naama is one of 14 Americans missing in Iraq.

Related reading

Americans Missing in Iraq
Last updated: August 13, 2011

Missing Men

2011-08-08T22:38:00.000-07:00

I somehow missed this article when it first appeared back in May. I honestly can't figure out how I missed it. Anyway...

The author provides two new names and a different spelling for Bob Hamza, which I will add to the chart of Americans Missing in Iraq. Dates, however, continue to remain elusive.

With Withdrawal Looming, Trails Grow Cold for Americans Missing in Iraq
By Jack Healy, New York Times, May 21, 2011

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. [...]

Numerically speaking, the missing Americans — Jeffrey Ake, Aban Elias, Abbas Kareem Naama, Neenus Khoshaba, Bob Hamze, Dean Sadek, Hussain al-Zurufi and Staff Sgt. Ahmed Altaie — are little more than a footnote in Iraq.

JFIC Project

2011-07-24T22:40:00.000-07:00

Trying to put together a table of who's who at Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) and it's subordinate, Joint Forces Intelligence Command (JFIC) during the critical 1999 to 2001 time frame. It's in table format and can be found here:

USJFCOM

Most of the information in the chart has been gleaned from online biographies of retired military personnel who have entered the private sector. Some of the names and dates are from the Inspector General report. Kirk von Ackermann first reported to JFIC for Information Operations in November 1999. He was quickly attached to the asymmetric threat group, DO5.

I'll update the chart as more information becomes available.

Review of Joint Forces Intelligence Command Response to 9/11 Commission
Deputy Inspector General for Intelligence
United States Department of Defense
September 23, 2008
Declassified March 5, 2010

Rear Admiral Rosanne LeVitre, USN

2011-07-21T00:53:00.000-07:00

In his May 8, 2006, Formal Complaint to DoD Inspector General [1], an unidentified intelligence officer known only as IRON MAN wrote:

(U) Contrary to JFIC's formal report to the JCS staff, JFIC had a direct and assigned purview on international terrorism against the U.S., to include the operations of al-Qa'ida and the 9/11 attackers. JFIC was directly responsible to both Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) and its subordinate, Joint Task Force-Civil Support (JTF-CS) for all-source intelligence analysis of internationai terrorism against the U.S. To ensure the quality of such analysis, JFlC's commanding officer [redacted] established the Asymmetric Threat Branch (DO5), charged with reporting on asymmetric threats, especially terrorism. [redacted] was subsequently promoted to JFCOM J2. As a RADM and PACOM J2, she established another Asymmetric Threat branch at PACOM.)

It is my belief that the commanding officer described above is Rear Admiral (retired) Rosanne M. LeVitre, US Navy.

Left - Screen capture of the online biography at the website for The Consensus for American Security for Rear Admiral Rosanne M. LeVitre, US Navy (Retired). The biography includes a color photograph and also notes her '...considerable experience in the interagency intelligence arena.'

In fact, the online biography [2] opens with this sentence:

Rear Admiral Rosanne "Rose" LeVitre was the first woman intelligence specialist selected for flag rank in the United States Navy.

According to the biography, Rear Admiral LeVitre was also in the right places doing the right things with the right people at the right time.

After [Gulf War I], she was sent to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), Current Operations Directorate (J3). Among her duties was that of JCS representative to a National Security Council. She later served at two joint intelligence centers (JICs), one of which she commanded. After her command tour, she became the Director for Intelligence (J2), U.S. Joint Forces Command, Norfolk, VA.

On selection to flag rank, Rear Admiral (ret) LeVitre assumed the position as Director for Intelligence (J2), U.S. Pacific Command, Honolulu, Hawaii. From 2000 to late 2003, she oversaw intelligence operations at a time of increased tensions, from the EP-3 aircraft incident with China, to the Global War on Terrorism, and crises involving India-Pakistan and Korea. She conceived of and oversaw implementation of an expanded information sharing architecture, involving traditional allied partners, non-traditional alliances and non-DOD entities to include the FBI, state and local authorities. [2]

Please re-read that last sentence again.

She conceived of and oversaw implementation of an expanded information sharing architecture, involving traditional allied partners, non-traditional alliances and non-DOD entities to include the FBI, state and local authorities.

Of the Asymmetric Threat Division (DO5), the Defense Inspector General for Intelligence wrote this:

In 1999, the Joint Forces Intelligence Command created the Asymmetric Threat Division to take a non-traditional approach to analysis. The Asymmetric Threat Division provided current intelligence briefings and produced the Worldwide Terrorist Threat Summary in support of the Intelligence Director for the United States Joint Forces Command. The Asymmetric Threat Division also provided support to the Joint Task Force-Civil Support. The Joint Task Force-Civil Support assisted civil authorities with disaster assistance. [3]

IRON MAN pretty much alludes to the fact that DO5 was ahead of its time:

(U) The Asymmetric Threat Branch in JFIC was a forerunner of current all-source fusion centers. Unlike other analytical offices in the intelligence cornmunity, DO5 members had
a wide mix of skilis in all six intelligence disciplines - HUMINT, OSINT, COMINT, ELINT, IMINT, and MASINT. Consequently, DO5 was able to develop and use all-source, original analysis in a manner probably then unprecedented within the intelligence community. [1]

The Asymmetric Threat Division was Rear Admiral LeVitre's baby, making her truly a visionary in the intelligence community. But according to IRON MAN, shortly after LeVitre left, her replacement shut down DO5.

(U) [redacted] the last JFIC commanding officer under which I served, was adamantly opposed to JFIC conducting any original analysis of al-Qa'ida, and directed such work be stopped in late 2000-early 2001. [1]

And that action - actively shutting down DO5 - puts a very different spin on things.

Someone please tell me that DO5 wasn't shut down because of sexism and that as a direct result, 2,753 people died on 9/11 just because the boys club didn't take girls.

Because if that's the case, that's some seriously [redacted] up [redacted].

ADDENDUM

Flag officer announcements from the archives of the Department of Defense.

Flag Officer Assignments
U.S. Department of Defense, Press Release, December 8, 2003

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark announced the following flag officer assignments Dec. 8:

Rear Adm. (lower half) Rosanne M. Levitre is being assigned as director, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, FORCEnet, N6/N7, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Arlington, Va. Levitre is currently serving as director for intelligence, J2, U.S. Pacific Command, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Flag Officer Announcements
U.S. Department of Defense, Press Release, May 25, 2000

Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen announced today that the President has
nominated the following U.S. Navy officers for promotion to rear admiral (lower half):

SPECIAL DUTY OFFICER (INTELLIGENCE)

Levitre, Rosanne M. Director of Intelligence, J2, [NL] U.S. Joint Forces Command AUG 1999 TO DATE Norfolk, Va.

Flag and General Officer Assignments
U.S. Department of Defense, Press Release, June 30, 2000

The following are flag and general officer assignments as announced by the Departments of the Navy and Army.

PRESENT ASSIGNMENT
Levitre, Rosanne M.
Rear Admiral
(Lower Half) (Selectee)
Director of Intelligence
J2, U.S. Joint Forces Command
Norfolk, Va.

NEW ASSIGNMENT
Director for Intelligence
J2, U.S. Pacific Command
Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii

References

[1] Attachment - Unclassified FOIA Response PDF
April 8, 2011
Formal Complaint to DoD Inspector General
re: JFIC and Congressional Inquiry
May 8, 2006

[2] See: Members » Rear Admiral Rosanne M. LeVitre
The Consensus for American Security

[3] Review of Joint Forces Intelligence Command Response to 9/11 Commission PDF
Deputy Inspector General for Intelligence
United States Department of Defense
September 23, 2008
Declassified March 5, 2010
From the Federation of American Scientists

Report: Intelligence Unit Told Before 9/11 to Stop Tracking Bin Laden
By Jeffrey Kaye, Truthout, May 23, 2011

Abbreviations - used above

COMINT - Communications Intelligence
DO5 - Asymmetric Threat Division
DOD - Department of Defense
ELINT - Electronic Intelligence
FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation
HUMINT- Intelligence
IMINT- Imagery Intelligence
J2 - Director for Intelligence
JCS - Joint Chiefs of Staff
JFCOM - Joint Forces Command
JFIC - Joint Forces Intelligence Command
JIC - Joint Intelligence Center
JTF-CS - Joint Task Force- Civil Support
MASINT- Measurement and Signature Intelligence
OSINT- Open Source Intelligence
PACOM - Pacific Command
RADM - Rear Admiral
US - United States of America
USN - United States Navy

What did Kirk see?

2011-07-14T22:11:00.000-07:00

More thinking out loud.....and nit picking.

In November 1999, Captain Kirk von Ackermann, USAF, arrived to work at Joint Forces Intelligence Command in Virginia, where he was assigned to counter terrorism.

In trying to describe her husband and how his work was slowly consuming his entire life, Megan von Ackermann wrote a very short passage that took place somewhere in the vicinity of Virginia:

Dual Lives
By Megan von Ackermann, Missing in Iraq, September 5, 2006

Like the time [Kirk] glanced over as we passed a local bank, stiffened and muttered something about 'so they use that one...' I think he had recognized someone going into the bank, and now part of him was concerned with working out how to use this unexpected windfall of information.

Assuming what was written is accurate, it means JFIC more or less lied, at least once, in its response to the Deputy Inspector General for Intelligence.

Appendix B. (U) Scanned JFIC Response:

2. Did your agency have information prior to Sept 11, 2001, to suggest that international terrorist cells were operating within the United States? If so, please set this information aside for review by the staff of the Joint inquiry.

ANSWER: No, but prior to Sept 11, 2001, neither JFIC nor JFCOM tracked terrorist activity in the United States. The United States was not part of JFCOM's AOR.

Then why was a JFIC counter terrorism officer so interested in someone he saw outside of a bank? Why did that officer refer to 'they' - plural - unless the subject observed was connected to or a member of an already known group that - at best - was only 'suspected' of ties to terrorists?

What did Kirk see and who exactly did he pass that information on to? More importantly, what did the recipient do with it?

References

Attachment - Unclassified FOIA Response PDF
FOIA response
April 8, 2011
Formal Complaint to DoD Inspector General
re: JFIC and Congressional Inquiry
May 8, 2006

Review of Joint Forces Intelligence Command Response to 9/11 Commission PDF
Deputy Inspector General for Intelligence
United States Department of Defense
September 23, 2008
Declassified March 5, 2010
From the Federation of American Scientists

Report: Intelligence Unit Told Before 9/11 to Stop Tracking Bin Laden
By Jeffrey Kaye, Truthout, May 23, 2011

Kidnapped

2011-07-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

Heads up.

Colin Freeman, who first wrote about the disappearance of Kirk von Ackermann, has a new book coming out on his own kidnapping in Somalia. Today, Freeman is chief foreign correspondent on The Sunday Telegraph.

Description from the publisher.

Kidnapped: Life As A Somali Pirate Hostage
By Colin Freeman, Monday Books, June 2011

Somalia: the world’s most notorious failed state, and one of the most dangerous places on earth.

It’s a land of pirates, criminal gangs and militant Islamists, which even the military might of the U.S.A. couldn’t tame. With no government for two decades, there can be few worse places to be taken hostage...

This is Sunday Telegraph foreign correspondent Colin Freeman’s account of being kidnapped on the lawless Somali pirate coast - and how it became a haven for modern-day buccaneers.

There's also a short piece by Colin Freeman at the BBC.

Somalia: What is it like to be kidnapped?
By Colin Freeman, BBC, June 29, 2011

The Missing Man in 2D

2011-06-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Gosh - for a long time, I've wanted a hard copy of the Missing Man for reading and reference offline. After some research, I finally settled on a primitive PDF format as it allows the embedded links to remain active. It's not perfect but it works. The least I can do is share it with anyone who wants a copy. (I plan to update Volume 4 some point in the future)

The Missing Man blog posts are divided into 5 separate volumes. They are available for download (free) through Google docs.

Volume 1 - Introduction, Overview, Index, Bibliography

Volume 2 - November 12, 2003 - May 13, 2008

Volume 3 - May 25, 2008 - March 28, 2010

Volume 4 - March 31, 2010 - June 13, 2011

Volume 5 - Appendix

Download Directions

To download or print each volume, after following the link, just click on 'File' in the upper left hand corner. See insert below.

Asymmetric Threat Division - opposition

2011-06-25T02:26:00.000-07:00

Review of Joint Forces Intelligence Command Response to 9/11 Commission PDF
Deputy Inspector General for Intelligence
United States Department of Defense
September 23, 2008
Declassified March 5, 2010
From the Federation of American Scientists

(U) JFIC's Asymmetric Threat Division (DO5)

(U) In 1999, the [Joint Forces Intelligence Command]created the Asymmetric Threat Division (DO5) to take a non-traditional approach to analysis. The Director of Operations recruited JFIC personnel from the command based upon their counterintelligence and counterterrorism expertise. The DO5 provided current intelligence briefings and produced the Worldwide Terrorist Threat Summary in support of the USJFCOM Intelligence staff. The DO5 also provided support to the Joint Task Force-Civil Support (JTF-CS). The JTF-CS assisted civil authorities with disaster assistance. The DO5 supported the JTF-CS exercises by establishing fictional terrorist organizations that would mimic real world terrorist groups.

Reviewing Jeffrey Kaye and Jason Leopold's two recent articles over at Truth Out and the related documents. Thinking a bit out loud here and feeling my way around it all.

Anyway, what I am trying to understand is this: why were commanding officers so opposed to the Asymmetric Threat Division's intelligence analysis regarding al Qaeda? Just what the heck was going on over there - was it a Navy thing or was there more to it than that?

Principals

Pieced together from various sources, a very rough list of 'principals' from the 2000-2001 time period. Keep in mind there's some overlap with people coming and going, promotions, etc. Some of the titles might be wrong (my error) and there's a bunch of unknowns. At least it's a starting point.

Admiral Harold W. Gehman, Jr. served as Commander In Chief U.S. Joint Forces Command from September 1997 until his retirement September 2000. His replacement was General Kernan.

Lieutenant General Thomas N. Burnette, Jr. served as Deputy Commander In Chief U.S. Joint Forces Command from July 1999 until his retirement September 2000. His replacement was Vice Admiral Mayer.

General William F. Kernan, US Army - Commander in Chief, US Joint Forces Command
Vice Admiral Martin J. Mayer, USN - Deputy Commander in Chief, US JFCOM
Major General Jack R. Holbein Jr., USAF - Chief of Staff, US JFCOM
Colonel Daniel P. Bolger, US Army - Director, Strategy and Analysis, US JFCOM
[unknown] - Director of Operations, US JFCOM
[unknown] - Deputy Director of Operations, US JFCOM
Vice Admiral Robert B. Murrett, USN - Director for Intelligence, US JFCOM
[unknown] - Deputy Director for Intelligence, US JFCOM
[unknown] - Director for Intelligence Operations, US JFCOM
[unknown] - Deputy Director for Intelligence Operations, US JFCOM
Captain Janice M. Dundas, USN - Commander in Chief, Joint Forces Intelligence Command
[unknown] - Deputy Commander in Chief, JFIC
[unknown] - Director of Operations, JFIC
[unknown] - Deputy Director of Operations, JFIC
Major Oliver Wright III, US Army - Division Head, Asymmetric Threat Division, JFIC
John Rodriguez, NCIS - Deputy Division Head, Asymmetric Threat Division, JFIC
Captain Stephen F. Santez Jr., USN - [title unknown], Asymmetric Threat Division, JFIC
Captain Kirk von Ackermann, USAF - Deputy, Asymmetric Threat Division, JFIC
[unknown] - Operations Officer, Asymmetric Threat Division, JFIC
[unknown] - Counterintelligence Security Officer, US JFCOM
Major General Bruce M. Lawlor, US Army - Commander, Joint Task Force - Civil Support
[unknown] - Deputy Commander, JTF-CS
[unknown] - Chief of Staff, JTF-CS

Just from a history standpoint, 2000 - 2001 is a fascinating period for the US military and in particular, Joint Forces Command: it's all about transformation. Commander in Chief (CINC), General William F. Kernan, created a new directorate tasking a team, Mayer, Holbein and Bolger, to manage transformation strategy for JFCOM.

The CINC's charter to this team was simple: infuse joint forces with new ideas, and change the way JFCOM will fight. [...]

Rigorous simulation and gaming must be pursued in response to new or emerging technologies and concepts. [1]

Infuse joint forces with new ideas and rigorous simulations....only, not so much.

Oddly enough, Kernan was worried about procuring laser-guided missiles to replenish what was lost during Kosovo, essentially bringing missiles to a knife fight. Meanwhile, a new subordinate organization - the Joint Task Force-Civil Support - was tasked to "serve as the U.S. Joint Forces Command lead for WMD events in the United States"[2]. To prepare, JTF-CS was conducting quarterly training exercises (simulations) based on chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high yield explosives incidents. The Navy - who held the purse strings - wasn't so hot about sponsoring Joint Forces Command. [3]

From Jeffrey Kaye's source materials, IRON MAN on page 2 of his Formal Complaint to DoD Inspector General [4] writes:

[The Asymmetric Threat Division] DO5 began preparing a wide range of original analysis on asymmetric warfare, especially terrorism, from mid-1998 until mid-2001. This analysis included: [...]

(U) Reports on the most likely targets for domestic and international terrorists both within the US and abroad, as well as adjunct targets during a traditional war. The most sensitive of these reports were those identifying targets within the US, developing scenarios, analysis of commonalities for use in planning responses and recommendations for preventative action. This US tasking was given by JTF-CS.

JTF-CS was clearly asking DO5 to help prepare realistic scenarios for its training exercises which meshes with what Megan von Ackermann has written [5] about her husband, that Captain Kirk von Ackermann was involved with designing 'readiness exercises'. In a statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Major General Bruce M. Lawlor, the first Commander of Joint Task Force - Civil Support (JTF-CS) provided some details about JTF-CS. [6]

In addition to planning for real world events, JTF-CS conducts quarterly training exercises that focus on planning and deployment for specific types of CBRNE incidents. To date we have conducted such exercises in each of the 5 areas with which we are concerned: chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high yield explosive events. We have learned to create a base plan for the most dangerous event and prepare branches and sequels for other possible incidents. By doing so, we have reduced our response planning time considerably.

Planning for real world events...against real adversaries, like Al Qaeda. Lawlor casually mentions in his statement that one such exercise was quietly conducted live during the Presidential inauguration of George W. Bush.

The work of the Asymmetric Threat Division - and Captain Kirk von Ackermann - starts coming into focus and becomes much more tangible. These guys aren't sitting around playing video games, they're playing for real. The intelligence is real. The enemy is real. The targets - real. The scenarios - real. The maps - real. The threat - real.

So, why were they getting shut down orders? Who didn't want them trained and ready to fight the bad guys?

Again, from Jeffrey Kaye's source materials, IRON MAN states on page 5 of his Formal Complaint to DoD Inspector General [7]:

[U] [redacted] the last JFIC commanding officer under which I served adamantly opposed JFIC conducting any original analysis of al-Qa'ida, and directed work be stopped in late 2000 - early 2001, and enforced that order upon my departure.

Review of Joint Forces Intelligence Command Response to 9/11 Commission, Appendix C - a March 25, 2002 letter attached to the FOIA response signed by Major John A. Robinson, USAF, [8] clearly identifies Captain Janice M. Dundas, US Navy, as Commander of the JFIC. Back in March 2000, Dundas signed Captain Kirk von Ackermann's letter of appreciation.

In the section marked, JFIC Response to Congress [9], page 14, the Inspector General states:

(U) The JFIC's Commanding Officer established a command atmosphere which highlighted intelligence oversight and mission focus. The DO5 Operations Officer stated that the JFIC was very cautious over the support that was provided to the JTF-CS based on intelligence oversight guidelines. The Deputy Director of Intelligence stated that JFIC Commanding Officer would repeatedly ask for written certification to justify any tasking to any department or division. He further stated that DO5 had no theater specific mission. The subsequent Deputy Director of Intelligence directed him to stop tracking Usama Bin Laden. The Commanding Officer stated that the tracking of Usama Bin Laden did not fall in JFIC's mission. The Commanding Officer also stated that a couple of folks doing analysis of Afghanistan terrorist training camps was perceived as excess capability when it's not your AOR [Area of Operations] and that the issues were not in JFIC's swim lane.

Someone needs to ask Dundas what she was afraid of - whose toesies were getting stepped on. Was it coming from above her? Did she personally object to Major General Bruce M. Lawlor, Commander of JTF-CS? Petty, yes, but not unheard of.

Vice Admiral Martin J. Mayer, also Navy, was the Deputy Commander in Chief. Prior to serving as DCINC, Mayer was Director for Strategy Requirements and Integration at JFCOM and part of Kernan's 'team' to manage transformation strategy for JFCOM.

IRON MAN notes in his Formal Complaint that "...senior JFCOM staff including the DCINC and J3" were present at the first Asymmetric Threat Division briefing titled, "The WMD Threat to the US."[10] After the briefing, it had been noted that the national military terrorism exercise committment for FY01 involved a cruise ship.

A few months later, Mayer was nominated for appointment to Vice Admiral and Deputy Commander of US Joint Forces on September 15, 2000. Within a month, on October 12, 2000, the USS Cole was the victim of a suicide bombing in Yemen. 17 sailors died that day. By December, CNN was reporting that Al Qaeda was responsible. [11]

In the Afterword to the book Touching History: The Untold Story of the Drama That Unfolded in the Skies Over America on 9/11, Major General (retired) Larry Arnold 1st Air Force and the Continental US North American Air Defense Command Region wrote:

Just two weeks before September 11, 2001, I had met with Vice Admiral Martin Mayer, the deputy commander in chief of Joint Forces Command located in Norfolk, Virginia. He had informed me that he intended to kill all funding for a plan my command had been working on for two years, that would defend against a cruise missile attack by terrorists. While I convinced Admiral Mayer to continue his funding support, he told me in front of my chief of staff, Colonel Alan Scott; Navy Captain David Stewart, the lead on the project; and my executive officer, Lt. Col. Kelley Duckett, that our concern about Osama bin Laden as a possible threat to America was unfounded and that, to repeat, ‘If everyone would just turn off CNN, there wouldn’t be a threat from Osama bin Laden.’ [12]

Mayer's myopic thinking was far from unique. His Commander in Chief, General Kernan, was interviewed for an article shortly after the Cole bombing [13]:

The way the United States deploys its ships and troops overseas, as well as how they are based at home, will be forever changed because of the attack on the destroyer Cole, according to the man responsible for providing forces to America's combat commanders. [...]

The Cole, a $1 billion Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, was attacked Oct. 12 while it refueled in the southern Arabian port of Aden, Yemen. Seventeen sailors from the Norfolk-based ship died and 42 others were injured.

"I don't think anybody could have predicted somebody would come floating up there on a commercially made skiff that had an embedded shape charge in it, come right up against the side of a ship and blow a 40-by-40-foot hole in it," [Kernan] said. "It's incredible they were able to achieve it."

It's not that big of a jump in the imagination from commercial skiff to commercial jet. Within a year, hijackers on a suicide mission would hit the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

It's like the commanders just couldn't face up to a very real war. They couldn't - or wouldn't - see the elephant in the room - asymmetric threats from groups like Al Qaeda.

It's all so.....disappointing.

References

New Documents Claim Intelligence on Bin Laden, al-Qaeda Targets Withheld From Congress' 9/11 Probe
By Jeffrey Kaye and Jason Leopold, Truthout, June 13, 2011

Attachment - Unclassified FOIA Response PDF - includes:
FOIA response
April 8, 2011
Formal Complaint to DoD Inspector General
re: JFIC and Congressional Inquiry
May 8, 2006

Report: Intelligence Unit Told Before 9/11 to Stop Tracking Bin Laden
By Jeffrey Kaye, Truthout, May 23, 2011

Review of Joint Forces Intelligence Command Response to 9/11 Commission PDF
Deputy Inspector General for Intelligence
United States Department of Defense
September 23, 2008
Declassified March 5, 2010
From the Federation of American Scientists

[1] A Study of Joint Transformation at United States Joint Forces Command
By Colonel Lorraine E. Tyacke, United States Army, April 9, 2002

[2] Management of National Guard, Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Teams
Office of the Inspector General, Department of Defense
Audit Report No. D-2001-043
See: Coordination With Other Organizations
January 31, 2001

[3] Tyacke, page 8

[4] Attachment - Unclassified FOIA Response PDF - includes:
FOIA response
April 8, 2011
Formal Complaint to DoD Inspector General
re: JFIC and Congressional Inquiry
May 8, 2006

[5] Getting to Iraq part two: Counter Terrorism
By Megan von Ackermann, Missing in Iraq, March 24, 2006

[6] Statement of Major General Bruce M. Lawlor PDF
US Army, Commander, Joint Task Force-Civil Support,
US Joint Forces Command
Before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Status
Update of JTF-CS
May 1, 2001

[7] Unclassified FOIA Response, page 5

[8] Review of Joint Forces Intelligence Command Response to 9/11 Commission
Deputy Inspector General for Intelligence
United States Department of Defense
September 23, 2008
Declassified March 5, 2010

[9] Ibid, page 14

[10]Unclassified FOIA Response, page 3

[11] USS Cole plot began after embassy attacks, investigator says
David Ensor, Chris Plante and Peter Bergen, CNN, December 20, 2000

[12] Touching History: The Untold Story of the Drama That Unfolded in the Skies Over America on 9/11, By Lynn Spencer, Free Press, June 3, 2008
Afterword, page 285-291, by Major General (retired) Larry Arnold 1st Air Force and the Continental US North American Air Defense Command Region at Tyndall Air Force base near Panama City, FL.

[13] Cole Alters Military's Perception of Security; Joint Forces Chief Assesses Challenges at Overseas Posts, By Jack Dorsey, The Virginian-Pilot (archive $) January 28, 2001

Additional Reading

Military Support of Civil Authorities— A New Focus for a New Millennium
Major General Bruce M. Lawlor , Commander,  Joint Task Force–Civil Support
October 2000 (Updated September 2001)

Report of the Joint Inquiry into the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001 PDF - By the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (declassified version)
S. REPT. NO. 107- 351 and H. REPT. NO. 107-792
December 20, 2002

9-11 Commission Report
The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States
July 22, 2004

9/11 Commission - Appendix C - Hearings - witnesses, etc

Notes

Admiral Harold W. Gehman, Jr. served as Commander In Chief U.S. Joint Forces Command from September 1997 until his retirement September 2000

Vice Admiral Robert B. Murrett, USN served as the director for Intelligence, US Joint Forces Command, from August 10, 2000 through January 25, 2002

Truthout - Intelligence Withheld From Congress

2011-06-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

PS. I just want to take a moment to publicly thank all of the contractors, as well as the military, intelligence, and private military personnel who have graciously shared their knowledge and experience with me over the years. Their information has helped me to better understand the incredibly complex world that men (and women) like Kirk von Ackermann work in.

While working for Ultra Services of Istanbul Turkey, an American contractor and former intelligence officer, Kirk von Ackermann, disappeared on an isolated road in Iraq on October 9, 2003. He remains the longest missing American in Iraq today.

This blog is loaded with over 7 years of research about the incident as well as the murder of his colleague, Ryan Manelick, who died in December 2003. My own personal belief is that von Ackermann was killed because he was mistaken for John Dawkins who was for all intents and purposes part owner of Ultra Services.

At one point, I discussed the case with one of Kirk von Ackermann's former colleagues and shared my thoughts but for some reason, the scenario I outlined seemed like too much of a stretch. Which is a kind of twisted irony - even in death - Kirk von Ackermann just remains too far outside the socially acceptable, just like the scenarios he once imagined as an intelligence officer.

Truthout

Jeffrey Kaye continues lifting the veil on 9-11 intelligence failures with a new article at Truthout. The end of the article reviews some of what is known in public about Kirk von Ackermann.

I should probably just go on record and reveal that I first learned of the Asymmetric Threat Division - by name - back in 2005. I was under the impression the name of the group was classified and thus never revealed it. I was also once told that Kirk von Ackermann was possibly one of the finest intelligence officers to work for the DoD in the last century. He was said to have had an incredible talent for connecting seemingly unrelated details. I was told his work saved lives - literally.

Insert of the last page of documents from an Unclassified FOIA Response included with the article at Truthout, EXCLUSIVE: New Documents Claim Intelligence on Bin Laden, al-Qaeda Targets Withheld From Congress' 9/11 Probe by Jeffrey Kaye and Jason Leopold, June 13, 2011.

The Unclassified FOIA Response attached to the Truthout article is an absolute must read. The FOIA Response was the result of a 2006 complaint to the DoD Inspector General filed by a former intelligence officer known only as IRONMAN.

EXCLUSIVE: New Documents Claim Intelligence on Bin Laden, al-Qaeda Targets Withheld From Congress' 9/11 Probe
By Jeffrey Kaye and Jason Leopold, Truthout, June 13, 2011
Attachment - Unclassified FOIA Response

The last page of the FOIA Response - which quotes IRONMAN - holds particular interest for this blog.

(U) [unclassified] My motivation for this complaint is multi-faceted. I do believe that knowledge of the work done by DO5 would add to DoD's understanding of its role in the events leading up to 9/11 and how to avoid future attacks. For this reason, and other more personal reasons, I believe that DO5's analysis, especially the target analysis, should be reviewed and, if possible, declassified. I have been falsely accused of revealing classified information on DO5's work, when I am certain that that information is not and has not been classified since 9/11, and I do want to see myself cleared of that false accusation. In addition, I and the deputy of that team, [redacted] especially carried the burden of knowledge of how close DoD came to bin Laden and perhaps being able to reduce the number of lives lost on 9/11. I do not want that burden any longer. [redacted] [redacted] and I discussed this issue the last time we spoke. He remains the longest missing man in Iraq in this war, and I want, one day, to be able to explain to his children what their father foresaw.

The former deputy of the Asymmetric Threat Division and the longest missing man in Iraq is Kirk von Ackermann. The complicated and contentious history of the company he worked for in Iraq, Ultra Services, was featured in a 2006 article at ePluribus Media.

One Missing, One Dead: An Iraq Contractor in the Fog of War
By Susie Dow, ePluribus Media, May 12, 2006

The US Army CID did the best investigation they could with the information available to them. But they were horribly lead astray by working with the assumption that Kirk von Ackermann disappeared from where his vehicle was found. Von Ackermann's military experience - especially as detailed in the Unclassified FOIA Response - makes clear the events of that day were well outside his norm of behavior.

NSA audio recordings

On October 8, 2003, the day before he disappeared, Kirk von Ackermann called his wife in the United States from Iraq. He left a short message on their home answering machine.

The following day, October 9, just minutes before he 'disappeared', von Ackermann using his satellite phone reportedly called the cell phone of an Iraqi employee and requested help with a bad tire. Several minutes later, a passing patrol reported an abandoned vehicle just several miles down the road from a manned checkpoint. The Iraqi employee arrived approximately 45 minutes later.

It is my belief that an impostor placed that satellite call to the Iraqi employee - who due to limited language skills with English would be unable to tell the difference between two English speaking men's voices.

NSA has audio files of satellite phone calls originating in Iraq during this time period and is in a position to facilitate an analysis to see if in fact the male who placed the call to the Iraqi employee was Kirk von Ackermann. It defies any and all logic that Kirk von Ackermann deliberately drove alone with a bad tire - and without a translator - on a journey of over 165 miles through Iraq, with 7 of those miles on an isolated ridge he had previously identified as the most dangerous part of the journey between Tikrit and Kirkuk.

Perhaps investigators will finally get around to treating the disappearance of Kirk von Ackermann as the unsolved murder that it is.

Additional Reading

DoD Whistleblower: Documents Show Intel Withheld from 9/11 Congressional Investigators - author discussion and commentary of the Truthout article
By Jeff Kaye, FireDogLake, June 13, 2011

Report: Intelligence Unit Told Before 9/11 to Stop Tracking Bin Laden

By Jeffrey Kaye, Truthout, May 23, 2011

DoD Inspector General: Intel Agency Ordered to Stop Pre-9/11 Tracking of Bin Laden - author discussion and commentary of the Truthout article

By Jeff Kaye, FireDogLake, May 24, 2011

Review of Joint Forces Intelligence Command Response to 9/11 Commission PDF

Deputy Inspector General for Intelligence

Department of Defense

September 23, 2008

Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities before and after the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001
Report of the joint inquiry motivated IRON MAN's formal complaint, that JFIC withheld intelligence from congress
S. Rept. 107-351 and H. Rept. 107-792
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
U.S. Government Printing Office
December 2002

Counter Terrorism and JFIC

By Susie Dow, Missing Man, May 6, 2011

Counter Terrorism and Kirk von Ackermann

By Susie Dow, Missing Man, October 8, 2006

And because no one clicks on links anymore....

Getting to Iraq part two: Counter Terrorism

By Megan von Ackermann, Missing in Iraq, March 24, 2006

After Y2K, Kirk became more and more consumed by the counter-terrorism world. He was read into higher and higher clearances, learned more and more about the largest threats to the US and her allies. Specifically he became deeply aware of Osama Bin Ladin and his organization.

Kirk was involved with designing readiness excercises - scenarios to be used by various units as they tested their skills. He proposed that a small boat filled with explosives be used as a weapon against a large warship - and was told it was an unrealistic idea. This was, of course, well prior to the USS Cole attack.

He also, along with his team, not only suggested that a commercial jet could be used as a terrorist weapon, but predicted the most likely targets that would be chosen. Again, he was ignored, and sometimes laughed at.

Dual Lives
By Megan von Ackermann, Missing in Iraq, September 5, 2006

One afternoon we were driving up the highway outside of Langley. I was reading a magazine - the Smithsonian I think - and I was chatting to Kirk about an article discussing the greatest achievement of modern medicine: the successful campaign against smallpox. Wasn't it amazing, I said, the way the WHO had managed it, wasn't it wonderful that the world was safe now from a disease that had been a deadly threat for thousands of years. Very quietly, his hands stiff on the wheel, he said 'it's not gone.'

Just that. But I knew - I knew that not only did he know that more than one country had kept live samples of the virus, he knew intimately the infection rate, the symptoms, the horrific scarring that those lucky enough to survive would suffer. He knew how it could be weaponized, had thought about delivery systems, had worked through countless scenarios in which various populations were targeted and infected.

And gradually I realized that he was living like that constantly. Everywhere we went, there was part of him looking around and evaluating targets, thinking about blast zones, considering mortality rates, political value, public reaction.

Now tell me that same man, Kirk von Ackermann, chose to deliberately drive alone in an SUV with a bad tire over 165 miles without a translator most of it through Saddam Hussein's tribal area. Didn't happen.....

Truthout - Unasked Questions

2011-05-23T23:36:00.000-07:00

It's a strange feeling to come across an article that mentions yourself.

Jeffrey Kaye of Truthout has written a detailed overview of the recent report from the Deputy Inspector General for Intelligence of the Department of Defense, Report: Intelligence Unit Told Before 9/11 to Stop Tracking Bin Laden. The report stems from a whistleblower complaint that alleged that "...the Joint Forces Intelligence Command had not disclosed all material to the 9/11 Commission." It is very fortunate that Jeffrey Kaye took an active interest in the report as my interest was not so much its findings rather I was much more interested in learning about the work of Capt. Kirk von Ackermann USAF at Joint Forces Intelligence Command (JFIC).

At the end of Kaye's article he quotes a statement I made here on this blog:

Dow noted the [Inspector General] report's conclusion: "The analysis completed by the Joint Forces Intelligence Command, specifically the Asymmetric Threat Division, was not applicable to the questions asked by the 9/11 Commission."

"Which leads me to believe the 9/11 Commission did not ask the correct questions," Dow said.

Question

Now, I fully admit, I have a bias. I see things as they relate to what I have learned of Kirk von Ackermann. So, one 'correct question' that immediately jumps to my mind - a question that the 9/11 Commission apparently did not ask the Asymmetric Threat Division - is this:

Did the Asymmetric Threat Division at any time prepare readiness excercises that involved the use of commercial aircraft as weapons? If yes: a. what were the predicted targets and b. who was that information disseminated to?

Because 'readiness exercises' were one of the things that Kirk von Ackermann was doing while at the Joint Forces Intelligence Command. And yes. Commercial aircraft used as weapons by flying them fully fueled in to buildings - like the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the White House - was one of the scenarios that he predicted.

Cold Case File

For the past 7+ years, I've been researching and writing about the disappearance of Kirk von Ackermann as well as the murder of his colleague Ryan Manelick. I remain dis-satisfied with CID findings to date, first and foremost starting with the assumption that Kirk von Ackermann actually disappeared from where his vehicle was found. To arrive at such a conclusion - as tempting as it may be - requires suspending all logic. (See: The Bridge Theory and Missing Contractor: Military Mechanics May Hold the Keys)

I'd just like to see CID re-open the case and look at all of the evidence in chronological order with fresh eyes. Suspect everyone, spare no one from investigation - including the military personnel who first reported finding his abandoned vehicle.

References

Report: Intelligence Unit Told Before 9/11 to Stop Tracking Bin Laden
By Jeffrey Kaye, Truthout, May 23, 2011

DoD Inspector General: Intel Agency Ordered to Stop Pre-9/11 Tracking of Bin Laden - author discussion and commentary of the Truthout article
By Jeff Kaye, FireDogLake, May 24, 2011

Review of Joint Forces Intelligence Command Response to 9/11 Commission PDF
Deputy Inspector General for Intelligence
Department of Defense
September 23, 2008

Counter Terrorism and JFIC
By Susie Dow, Missing Man, May 6, 2011

Counter Terrorism and Kirk von Ackermann
By Susie Dow, Missing Man, October 8, 2006

Getting to Iraq part two: Counter Terrorism
By Megan von Ackermann, Missing in Iraq, March 24, 2006

After Y2K, Kirk became more and more consumed by the counter-terrorism world. He was read into higher and higher clearances, learned more and more about the largest threats to the US and her allies. Specifically he became deeply aware of Osama Bin Ladin and his organization.

Kirk was involved with designing readiness excercises - scenarios to be used by various units as they tested their skills. He proposed that a small boat filled with explosives be used as a weapon against a large warship - and was told it was an unrealistic idea. This was, of course, well prior to the USS Cole attack.

He also, along with his team, not only suggested that a commercial jet could be used as a terrorist weapon, but predicted the most likely targets that would be chosen. Again, he was ignored, and sometimes laughed at.

Dead Contractors

2011-05-10T23:53:00.000-07:00

For those who follow issues regarding overseas contractors, there's a new in-depth report on casualties and contingency contracting just published. A draft is available for reading. For the initiated, it's mostly familiar territory.

Dead Contractors (click the download link for PDF)
The Unexamined Effect of Surrogates on the Public's Casualty Sensitivity
By Steven L. Schooner & Colin D. Swan
Journal of National Security Law & Policy, forthcoming 2011

It's nice to see casualty data and a request for an honest debate on the role of contractors in US military operations all in one place. But given politics at home over the last ten years, an open and honest debate is unlikely to occur.

There's only a passing mention to missing personnel in some footnotes.

Defense Base Act Case Summary - page 48

My cynicism says nothing will change until the oxes are gored of those who wage war from behind their desk chairs .

Counter Terrorism and JFIC

2011-05-06T22:33:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon a fascinating report today, Review of Joint Forces Intelligence Command Response to 9/11 Commission.

According to Secrecy News Volume 2010 Issue No. 18 of March 9, 2010, the review was only recently declassified. Also see this March 5, 2010 cover letter to the original November 4, 2008 FOIA request from the Department of Defense Inspector General.

Page 9 - Objective

(U) The objective was to determine whether the JFIC [Joint Forces Intelligence Command] misled Congress by willfully withholding operational information in response to the 9/11 Commission.

The review notes and confirms that JFIC was never identified in the 9/11 Commission Report.

At first glance, it might seem that this review has little relationship to this blog. But there, smack dab in the middle of the review, are members of the Joint Forces Intelligence Command that former USAF Capt. Kirk von Ackermann once associated with.

So with all of the news coverage about the death of Osama bin Laden, I thought now would be a good time to look at what is known about von Ackermann's previous work in counter terrorism while serving in the US Air Force. While a general overview of anecdotes can be found here: Counter Terrorism and Kirk von Ackermann, what I'm after are the specifics - who, what, when.

So let's start with the photos and try to peel this apart.

Capt. Kirk von Ackermann received a Joint Forces Intelligence Command (JFIC) Commendation Medal from CAPT Santez on April 26, 2000. Two personnel, the Head and Deputy Head of the Asymmetric Threat Division at JFIC during this same time period (Spring 2000), are identified on page 18 of the review. Additional personnel are also identified within the review, but it's not clear they were with JFIC during the specified time period.

Capt. Kirk von Ackermann also received a Certificate of Appreciation from CAPT J. M. Dundas, US Navy of the JFIC on March 20, 2000. 'CAPT Janice Dundas USN' is identified by name as the commander of the JFIC on page 20 of the review.

Excerpts from the Review of Joint Force Intelligence Command Response to 9/11 Commission are quoted below. I've highlighted additional details of interest. It's not much, but it gives just a little more insight into the world of counter terrorism that Kirk von Ackermann was once working within.

Review of Joint Forces Intelligence Command Response to 9/11 Commission
Report No. 2008-INTEL-15
Inspector General United States Department of Defense
September 23, 2008

Page 5 - Executive Summary - Background

(U) The Joint Forces Intelligence Command was established in 1999 and was subordinate to the United States Joint Forces Command. The mission of the Joint Forces Intelligence Command was "to provide general and direct intelligence support to United States Joint Forces Command, United States Joint Forces Command staff directorates, subordinate unified commands, joint task forces, Service component commands and subordinate joint forces commands tasked with executing United States Forces Command geographic or functional missions." In 1999, the Joint Forces Intelligence Command created the Asymmetric Threat Division to take a non-traditional approach to analysis. The Asymmetric Threat Division provided current intelligence briefings and produced Worlwide Terrorist Threat Summary in support of the Intelligence Director for the United States Joint Forces Command. The Asymmetric Threat Division also provided support to the Joint Task Force-Civil Support. The Joint Task Force-Civil Support assisted civil authorities with disaster assistance.

According to his wife's blog, Capt. von Ackermann headed up the Y2K task force - which places him at JFIC prior to January 2000 - as well as attended some White House intelligence briefings. She was under the impression he had analyzed the threat of the weaponization of small pox as well as proposed unorthodox methods of attacking United States interests. Small pox - a biological weapon - is an important detail.

Page 6

The analysis completed by the Joint Forces Intelligence Command, specifically the Asymmetric Threat Division, was not applicable to the questions asked by the 9/11 Commission.

Which leads me to believe the 9/11 Commission did not ask the correct questions. Anyway...back to the review.

Appendix B. (U) Scanned JFIC Response:

Page 17 - Request

Please provide a list of the officers within your agency that are principally responsible for counter-terrorism activities on a day-to-day basis and identify the heads and deputy heads of these offices and their dates of service from 1995 to present. (Note: we are not asking for everyone in supervisory chain of such officials). If the individuals occupying these positions are current employees of your agency, please indicate this.

Page 18 - Response

Nov 1999-Summer 2001: Asymmetric Threat Division, Division Head MAJ Oliver Wright III (USA) still at JFIC, Deputy John Rodriguez (NCIS) now at DIA.

Von Ackermann was receiving accolades from the JFIC in the Spring of 2000. His participation on the Y2K task force makes clear he was already serving at JFIC at the very latest by December of 1999.

Appendix C. (U) Scanned USJFCOM Response:

Page 20

Subject: Congressional Inquiry into 11 September 2001 Terrorist Attack (U)

(U) JFIC did not track in-CONUS foreign threat or terrorist information prior to 11 Sep 01, so its answers to Mr. Snider's questions are mostly negative. The answers are attached to this email; they have been reviewed by CAPT Janice Dundas USN, JFIC Commander.

(signed)
Maj. John A. Robinson, USAF

As mentioned, CAPT J. M. Dundas signed a letter on JFIC letterhead dated March 20, 2000, attached to a Certificate of Appreciation issued to Capt. von Ackermann.

Page 30

Appended below are the Joint Force Intelligence Command's replies to the Congressional Inquiry questions tasked by VADM Wilson. JFIC POC is CDR Mike Villareal. JFIC ADJ. DSN 836-7168 JFCOM/J2 POC is Maj. John Robinson. JFCOM/J237, DSN 836-6006

It's unclear if any of the above three men served at JFIC during the same time as Capt. von Ackermann.

Page 31 - Question

What does your agency consider its marching orders both past (since 1985) and present, in terms of its responsibilities in the counter-terrorism arena, ie. what documents establish your requirements and priorities? Please identify these by title and set them aside for review by the staff of the joint inquiry.

Page 32 - Response

b. Fall 1999-Sep 11, 2001: Focus on Asymmetric Threats OCONUS to include terrorism and CBRN [Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear threats] issues. As Joint Force Provider, emphasis was on force protection for JFCOM Components and support to JTF-CS (Joint Task Force-Civil Support). JFCOM J2 and JTF-CS PIRs set the requirements.

And that's where it becomes crystal clear that Capt. von Ackermann - the counter terrorism officer - was assigned to the Asymmetric Threat Division cited earlier in the review. As 'Asymmetric Threats' included terrorism and biological threats - there's the link to the weaponization of small pox mentioned above.

Some statements from the JFCOM website from the Spring of 2000:

US Joint Forces Command
11: New Name, Future Focus

In October 1999, the name of Atlantic Command changed to United States Joint Forces Command to emphasize the command's role leading transformation of U.S. military forces

Still one of five geographic combatant unified commands, U.S. Joint Forces Command formally took on a more functional role with the new name. It is the only unified command with both a geographic area and functional responsibilities.

Joint Forces Command gained a functional mandate to lead transformation of U.S. military joint warfighting into the 21st Century. The command's geographical responsibility was modified to more closely align with existing NATO Allied Command Atlantic's (ACLANT) area of responsibility -- both a long history of cooperation with European Allies and recent history in Central Europe indicate future military operations will not only be joint, but also combined national efforts.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Vision 2020 [Ed note: this document was released May 20, 2000] projects that conflicts of the future will go to the side with the right technology, applied at the right time with the right warrior. Re-designation reflected the command's commitment to experimentation with new warfighting concepts and technologies that answer the call in the Joint Chiefs vision.

Concurrently the command was charged to answer another national call to support terrorist response operations in the continental U.S. Joint Forces Command created the first domestic Joint Task Force, JTF-Civil Support, to provide military assistance to civil authorities, like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and FBI, for consequence management of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) incidents in the United States.

A news article from the time period describes the Joint Vision 2020 report mentioned above. Two paragraphs stand out.

Joint Vision 2020 Emphasizes Full-spectrum Dominance
By Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service, June 2, 2000

Adversaries will probably not challenge U.S. strengths, but seek to attack the United States and its interests through "asymmetric means." They could identify vulnerable areas and devise means to attack them.

"The potential of such asymmetric approaches is perhaps the most serious danger the United States faces in the immediate future - - and this danger includes long-range ballistic missiles and other direct threats to U.S. citizens and territory," the report says.

Prior to going to Iraq, counter terrorism was the world in which Kirk von Ackermann was immersed. How can anyone honestly think he then forgot all of his training and experience, jumped into an unfamiliar SUV in Iraq, drove 180 miles - much of it on an isolated road - alone - with a bad tire.

Such reasoning defies logic.

References

Review of Joint Forces Intelligence Command Response to 9/11 Commission PDF
Deputy Inspector General for Intelligence
Department of Defense
September 23, 2008

The Gossip Grapevine or the Anatomy of a Lie

2011-04-14T00:47:00.000-07:00

Still wandering through the piles of my research files on the disappearance of Kirk von Ackermann and the murder of Ryan Manelick.

One of the topics I'd like to cover is email - specifically some background on the ultra-services.com email server. You know what small offices are like - everyone loves the water cooler gossip. Well, taking things a step further, there is a very good chance someone was intercepting and reading Ultra Services email. At a later date, I'll walk readers through all of the technical research that lays out the details and who I think was involved in the snooping but for now, I'm just going to provide a general overview.

Ultra Services had a website and used company email. The website was ultra-services.com and the company email addresses were john@ultra-services.com, ryan@ultra-services.com, charles@ultra-services.com, kirk@ultra-services.com, etc. It was a pretty basic set up.

The IP address for ultra-services.com was a co-located server in Turkey. Because of the domains associated within that specific block of addresses back in 2003, it's fairly easy to deduce that some if not all of the Turkish colleagues who were involved with Ultra Services had easy access to others emails - both incoming and outgoing.

For those who are too confused by the above tech talk, the shorter version is this - all of the company email passed through a co-located server that pretty much looked like it was controlled by the Turkish 'partner' in Ultra Services. Ownership and control of a co-located server makes it very easy to set up automatic forwarding and/or archiving of emails as they go in and out. No one would know about it unless they were in on the secret. This is standard operating procedure at large multi-national companies, especially defense contractors. But I doubt most of the American employees at Ultra Services would have given it much thought back in 2003.

Now why is this important? Why should it matter if a bunch of the Turkish employees were sniffing around their colleagues emails? Well, from what I've pieced together from various stories I've heard over the years, frankly, I think someone was lying.

While I can't go into detail at this time, it is my belief that some of the content in those emails was passed on to Army investigators as fact when in truth, the content was a fabrication. Those fabrications may have ultimately lead investigators to put together a false picture - a picture that I worry sidetracked the investigation into the disappearance of Kirk von Ackermann and eventually misdirected the investigation into Ryan Manelick's murder.

Let me walk you through what I am trying to describe.

Hypothetical scenario. Imagine the following chain of events...

Email from Person A to Person B
Person A: Hey, I think something funny is up. I saw John with someone suspicious and I think he passed something under the table to the guy he was meeting with. I bet it was a kickback for a contract.
Person C reads the email and shares it with another colleague, Person D. Person C also reports the story to Army investigators - as first hand fact - that John was seen handing envelopes to a suspicious man.

Army investigators question everyone at Ultra Services. Person D feeling self important confirms the story as first-hand fact. Person B tells investigators he heard about it from Person A.

Army investigators ask Person A about the story. Person A is caught in a bind so for whatever reasons, he lies a second time and tells Army investigators the story is true.

Maybe I am the one who is exaggerating. After all, it's not like I have cold hard scientific facts at hand. However, there are at least three 'stories' that I am aware of that I have good reason to believe were based on gross exaggeration and/or fabrication. While I do have a fantastic imagination, I worry that the original repeating of some of these email stories as truth - rather than at most just idle gossip picked up around the office - may have severely misdirected investigators.

By way of a more concrete example, here's one of the stories:

One More Story
By Megan von Ackermann, Missing in Iraq, December 13, 2006

It was months after Kirk went missing, and there were CID agents in our livingroom. We were all sitting around the table, two dark-suited men, my mother and I. It had been a long and strange conversation. There are any number of stories that could come out of it, but there's just one I want to tell right now.

It was nearly the end of the whole interview. They had been kind, calm, reserved but suddenly they were uncomfortable. They shifted in their chairs and exchanged a look. Finally one cleared his throat.

There was one more thing, something that might be hard...

I didn't know what to think. If they knew what had happened to Kirk surely they would have said something at the start, not waited until the very end of a couple of hours of talk. Months of horrible imagined scenes came quickly to mind.

... there was talk (he said) ... someone had mentioned ... a Russian woman that Kirk might have become friends with.

The above actually ties in with this bit of information from Colin Freeman's very first article in the UK Telegraph:

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

The strange circumstances of the case have prevented investigators from ruling out the possibility that [von Ackermann] has tried to fake his own disappearance. In particular, they are thought to be puzzled as to why he chose to drive alone that day, rather than taking an Iraqi colleague as he normally did.

In more blunt terms: Kirk von Ackermann was rumored to be having an affair with a Russian hostess who worked at a club in Istanbul. Some immigrant Russian women were known to work in Istanbul as prostitutes for pimps who held their passports hostage. Until they buy back their passports, they are essentially trapped. There was speculation that the 'hostess' was actually Russian intelligence trying to recruit American contractors who were working in Iraq. My understanding is investigators never located the woman or the club. Most likely, because she didn't exist.

Now imagine an entire criminal investigation driven on this kind of rumor and innuendo....

Timothy E Bell - missing 7 years

2011-04-08T00:33:00.000-07:00

This weekend marks the seven year anniversary since the disappearance of Timothy E. Bell of Mobile, Alabama. On Saturday, his family will be holding a memorial service in his honor.

Bell was abducted in Iraq on April 9, 2004 when 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 eventually 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. At the time of his disappearance, Bell was a 43-year-old electrician for Halliburton subsidiary KBR.

My sincere condolences to his friends and family.

Memorial Service For Contractor Missing In Iraq
by Jessica Taloney, WKRG, April 07, 2011

April 9 at 10 am
Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Church
304 Sengstak Street
Mobile, Alabama

Timothy Edward Bell - obituary
Mobile Press-Register
April 9, 2011

Infrared Video

2011-03-20T21:51:00.000-07:00

Army to take new look at friendly fire death
By Joe Gould, Army Times, March 20, 2011

The Army is reinvestigating the 2008 friendly fire death of a 101st Airborne soldier whose team leader shot him and left him to die on the battlefield in Iraq, according to prior inquiries.

The Army has notified David H. Sharrett, the father of Pfc. David Sharrett, 27, that it has launched a new and broader investigation.

An earlier probe found that the team leader, then-1st Lt. Timothy Hanson, left the battlefield on a helicopter while two of his soldiers were unaccounted for. Hanson subsequently received a temporary reprimand, was promoted to captain, and is now in the Reserve.

Sharrett, a former English teacher, has aggressively pressed the Army for information on his son’s death. He said he wants this inquiry, the Army’s third, to provide truth and accountability.

But of particular interest to this blog is this:

For years, Sharrett has met with his son’s colleagues and superiors, investigators and other general officers in an effort to wrangle information about how his son died.

“I’m convinced that decisions were made early on that this is not going above any kind of level,” Sharrett said. “They were not counting on anyone being aggressive in pursuing what the truth was.”

Sharrett said he was eventually able to view gun-sight video from an Apache helicopter that provided a chilling infrared view of the battlefield.

“You can see Hanson getting on the helicopter, you can see [my son] up on the wide screen, he’s struggling, and in the same frame, [the team leader is] leaving,” Sharrett said. “That’s where it really, really got to me.”

A lot of information was collected by the military in Iraq. Somewhere, there's footage and audio that's of direct relevance to the disappearance of Kirk von Ackermann and the murder of his colleague, Ryan Manelick. I guess the big question remains - why didn't investigators pursue those materials?

The Birthday Boys - theater

2011-03-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

Throughout March, Theater Unleashed in Hollywood, CA will present The Birthday Boys.

Their brief description of the play, set in 2006 Iraq, 'a gritty and terrifying dark comedy that tracks three United States Marines who have been taken hostage, bound and blindfolded, as they do whatever's necessary to keep their sanity and stay alive.'

The Birthday Boys
Playwright: Aaron Kozak
Director: Jacob Smith
Show Information
NoHo Stages
4934 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601

Captivity - book

2011-03-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

James Loney, a Canadian, was one of the four members from Christian Peacemaker Teams seized in Iraq on November 26, 2005.

Loney has written a memoir of his experience which is due out in April. He was abducted with Canadian Harmeet Singh Sooden, British citizen Norman Kember and American Tom Fox. Two additional books have been written to date on the CPT kidnapping - details can be found at the Books link below.

Captivity
118 Days in Iraq and the Struggle for a World Without War
By James Loney, Knopf Canada, April 2011
ISBN: 978-0-307-39927-4 (0-307-39927-3)

About the author:

James Loney is a Canadian peace activist, writer and member of Christian Peacemaker Teams. Based in Toronto, he has served on violence-reduction teams in Iraq, Palestine and First Nations communities in Canada. In November 2005, he was kidnapped along with the CPT delegation he was leading and held hostage for four months. One member of the group was murdered, an American named Tom Fox. The surviving three were released in a military operation led by British special forces.

Of note: in searching through the Iraq War Logs, I couldn't find a record of the kidnapping. However, one reader did find a SIGACT report for the discovery of a body on March 9, 2006, which is believed to be that of Tom Fox (a post on the SIGACT reports can be found here).

Related Posts

Books - Iraq Hostages
July 9, 2010

Old Photos

2011-03-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Looking back through some of my old notes and I came across some things that I don't believe I ever posted here.

Aerial photo of a portion of the Jabal Hamryn ridge. The road between Tikrit and Kirkuk crosses this ridge. Kirk von Ackermann described the area as the most dangerous section of road to drive on - his vehicle would later be discovered abandoned there. Unfortunately, I don't know where I found the photo nor which section of the ridge is shown. It looks like it might to the south of the Tikrit-Kirkuk road.

Next up is an article on the Balad Burn Pit - an unfortunately easy place to dispose of a dead body.

Engineers Operate Burn Pit in Balad
By Pfc Abel Trevino, 28th Public Affairs Detachment, Defend America, October 2004

I forgot about this one.

This is a satellite photo of a massive dust storm - 1300 miles wide - that hit the Gulf of Oman region on December 13, 2003, the day before Ryan Manelick was killed in a drive by shooting. The car used in the drive by was described as a 'nice white Landcruiser' in an email from John Dawkins to Greg Manelick. I've always wondered if Iraq - further to the north - was also hit by dust storms that day. And if so, what does a 'nice white' car say about Manelick's assailants.

Hostage Negotiation

2011-03-01T14:03:00.000-08:00

With pirates in the news almost daily, now seemed like a good time for this post.

To date, my research has concentrated quite narrowly on American missing persons in Iraq.

And for some time now, I've been collecting the names of companies and individuals involved in risk management, with an emphasis on hostage negotiation or incident response. I first became aware of the work in this area from news reports, trade magazine interviews, etc. Some of the individuals listed below worked with the Hostage Working Group at the US Embassy in Iraq.

I thought this information might be useful to post. I make no warranty as to the quality and effectiveness of the different individuals, groups and/or organizations. I honestly don't know anything about any of them other than what I've read in the news, so anyone using this list will need to do their own due diligence. It's a very safe assumption these services don't come cheap, and that this list is by no means definitive - many more companies are out there.

Government Agencies

FBI
Critical Incident Response Group
Hostage Rescue Team
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cirg/cirg/

Joint Personnel Recovery Agency
under Joint Forces Command
http://www.jpra.jfcom.mil/site_public/about/about.htm
US Forces-Iraq Personnel Recovery Division
(part of CENTCOM)
Lt. Col. Kevin Dennehy - Director
Lt. Col. Patrick Wright - former Director
Al Faw Palace at Camp Victory
Baghdad, Iraq

Of note: A sole source contract was issued by USF-IPRD for 'support services' to Blackbird Technologies. Blackbird Technologies includes a job opening for Personnel Recovery Mission Specialist under current 'career' listings.

Blackbird Technologies Inc
13900 Lincoln Park Drive
Suite 400
Herndon, VA 20171
703-796-1420
Fax: 703-464-9381
http://blackbirdtech.com/

U.S. Department of State
Hostage Working Group
U.S. Embassy Baghdad
Tel: 1-240-553-0584, ext. 5340 or 5635
Iraqna: 07901-732-134
GSM: 914-822-5493
usconsulbaghdad@state.gov
http://iraq.usembassy.gov
International Zone/Police Emergency Numbers:
Regional Security Office Tactical Operations Center: (914) 360-5828
FBI Tactical Operations Center: (703) 630-0996 ex 20501
Coalition Force Joint Area Support Group (JASG) Security: (914) 822-7775
Consular Affairs Emergency Duty Officer: (914) 360-6753

Erik Rye is the former director of the Hostage Working Group at the United States Embassy in Baghdad. He is currently an employee with the US State Department Operations Directorate, Office of the Coordinator for Counter terrorism.

US State Department Operations Directorate
Office of the Coordinator for Counter terrorism.
Erik Donald Rye - interagency coordinator of international hostage crises
S/CT 2509 HST
Phone: (202) 776-8396
http://www.state.gov/s/ct/about/org/c16675.htm
Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism
http://www.state.gov/s/ct/
More information about Erik Rye at the State Department blog:
http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entries/counterterrorism_recovery/

Private Companies and Consultants

List of Security Companies operating in Iraq
Includes brief descriptions of company services
http://iraq.usembassy.gov/iraq/security_companies.html

Altegrity Risk International (ARI) is the parent company of Kroll and USIS. Former NYC and LAPD Police Chief William Bratton was the Chairman of ARI before becoming the Chairman of Kroll in 2010.

Altegrity Risk International
Corporate Headquarters
570 Lexington Avenue
7th Floor New York, NY 10022
877-230-9082
703-860-0190
http://www.altegrityrisk.com/

Mark Harris leads the incident response team for ASI Global, LLC. ASI is the hostage negotiator for personnel insured by Travelers Group. According to their website, they also provide Kidnap & Ransom services for uninsured parties.

Mark Harris
ASI Global, LLC
2925 Briarpark Dr. Suite 1100
Houston, TX 77042 USA
713-430-7300 phone
713-430-7318 fax
+44 (0) 207 240 3237 outside of the US
responders@asiglobalresponse.com
http://www.asiglobalresponse.com

Christopher Voss was a member of the FBI in the US for 24 years and was the FBI's lead international kidnapping negotiator and is in private practice.

Christopher Voss
Black Swan Group
1000 Water Street SW
Washington, DC 20024
http://blackswanltd.com
chris@blackswanltd.com
917-374-2119 cell phone
202-621-7262 office

Acquired in 2007, Clayton Consultants is now a subsidiary of Triple Canopy. Triple Canopy is a private security company operating in Iraq. Clayton Consultants is the hostage negotiator for personnel insured by AIG. The former head of crisis response, Francisco Quinones, is said to have left Clayton Consultants.

Armand Gadoury - owner
Clayton Consultants - a subsidiary of Triple Canopy
12018 Sunrise Valley Drive
Reston, Virginia 20191 USA
703-673-5581 main
703-673-5001 fax
http://www.claytonconsultants.com/

'Control Risks is retained exclusively by Hiscox at Lloyds of London to provide priority crisis response to clients insured under kidnap-for-ransom and extortion policies.' [ref] Side note: Guillaume Bonnissent is the Kidnap and Ransom insurance underwriter at Hiscox.

Control Risks
Cottons Centre
Cottons Lane
London SE1 2QG
United Kingdom
Tel: + 44 20 7970 2100
Fax: + 44 20 7970 2222
crlondon@control-risks.com
http://www.controlrisks.com/

Dan O'Shea is the former head of the Hostage Working Group in Iraq at the US Embassy in Baghdad and is in private practice.

Daniel O'Shea
Daniel Risk Mitigation, Inc.
3212 W Santiago Street # A
Tampa, FL USA
http://www.danielrisk.com/About.shtml
info@danielrisk.com
813-835-1847 - (phone number may be incorrect)

Donald Palmer is a hostage negotiator who previously worked in military intelligence in Northern Ireland. He is now in private practice. G4S plc was formed in 2004 from the merger of Securicor plc and Group 4 Falck A/S’s security business.

Donald Palmer
Head of Crisis Response
G4S Security Group
The Manor
Manor Royal
Crawley
West Sussex RH10 9UN
United Kingdom
+44 (0) 20 8770 7000
+44 (0) 20 8722 2000
http://www.g4s.com/

Garry Vardon-Smith is a former police adviser to the British Embassy in Baghdad and is in private practice.

Garry Vardon-Smith
Risk Reduction Strategies Ltd
27-28 Monmouth Street
Bath BA1 2AP UK
Tel: 01225 840434 - Fax:0870 7051220
http://riskreductionbcm.com/about.htm
info@riskreductionbcm.com
Company Registration Number: 5297384
Additional phone numbers: 960 360 6319 and 07901933352 - (phone numbers may be incorrect)

Bob Parr was the risk management adviser in 2006 to the documentary "Kidnap & Rescue: The Roy Hallums Story" This documentary was the first public look inside of the Hostage Working Group. I am listing him here as a potential source for additional information on the world of hostage negotiators.

Bob Parr
Global Film Solutions
PO Box 2240
Queenstown 9197
New Zealand
+64 3 442 1730 phone
+64 3 442 0730 fax
admin@globalfilmsolutions.com
http://globalfilmsolutions.com

Compass Risk Management - security company
telephone: +44 (0) 1476 550 166
mobile: +44 (0) 7946 053 797
info@compass-rm.com/
http://www.compass-rm.com/

Kidnap Prevention Programs

Course: Surviving Hostile Regions
AKE Group
Saint Owen's Chambers - Corporate Headquarters
22 St. Owen Street
Hereford
HR1 2PL
UNITED KINGDOM
Tel: +44 (0)1432 267111
Fax: +44 (0)1432 350227
services@akegroup.com
http://www.akegroup.com/

Training Services by subject
Asset Protection Network - trade group
http://www.aprodex.com/training-services-54-c.aspx

Course Listings by date and location
ASIS International - trade group
Worldwide Headquarters USA
1625 Prince Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314-2818
Member Services: asis@asisonline.org
+1.703.519.6200
fax +1.703.519.6299
http://www.asisonline.org/

Training: High Risk Travel Seminar
National Hostage Survival Training Center
subsidiary Center for Personal Protection & Recovery
N. 108 Washington
Suite 600
Spokane, WA 99201
509-468-4128 phone
509-468-1225 fax
http://www.cppssite.com/

References

As kidnappings for ransom surge in Mexico, victims' families and employers turn to private U.S. firms instead of law enforcement
By Nick Miroff Washington Post, February 26, 2011

Tales of the hostage negotiators
By James Boxell, January 21, 2010

The business of kidnapping
By Joe Kelly, The Australian, February 17, 2010

Living the Baghdad Experience
Keeping Terrorism at Bay, Talk Through, April/May 2005, p14
Magazine of the Ministry of Defence Police, Printed in the UK by Holbrooks Printers Ltd.

DBA Summary Reports at the Dept of Labor

2011-02-25T08:38:00.000-08:00

New feature over at the Department of Labor - Defense Base Act Summary Reports. And for unknown reasons, Ultra Services is not listed, neither for the disappearance of Kirk von Ackermann nor the drive-by shooting deaths of Ryan Manelick nor his Iraqi driver. Three distinct casualties just don't exist in the Department of Labor records.

Department of Labor
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs
Defense Base Act Summary Reports
DBA Reports by Employer
September 1, 2001 through December 31, 2010

Easy to assume it was a simple bureaucratic oversight. But here's the really strange part. A similar summary report was circulating among those who follow overseas contracting issues a few years back. And at that time, Ultra Services was included. Why did the Department of Labor decide to exclude Ultra Services?

Are any other casualties missing?

Defense Base Act/War Hazards Act Summary by Employer for Iraq
Department of Labor
As of 08/08/2006, page 7

Page 7

I first came across the 2006 Summary Report at the website for American Contractors in Iraq:
http://americancontractorsiniraq.com/files/contractor-deaths1.pdf

Reading Room

2011-02-22T21:31:00.000-08:00

What follows is a list of publicly available manuals, instructions, regulations, laws and policies applicable to overseas Americans who go missing while working under contract for US government agencies. If links go bad, use a search engine like google to find updated information about the publication you seek.

Legal Reference Material

The laws that govern missing persons, hostage affairs, etc.

National Security Act of 1947
Establishes intelligence community support for missing persons. See Section 117 POW/MIA Analytic Capability. Also see 50 USC § 404L: United States Code, Title 50 - War and National Defense, Chapter 15 - National Security, Subchapter I - Coordination for National Security, 404L - POW Analytic Capability. The National Security Act of 1947 was last amended in 2007 by Public Law 110-53.

U.S. Code Title 10 § 1513
Legal definition of a missing person. United States Code, Title 10 - Armed Forces, Subtitle A - General Military Law, Part II - Personnel, Chapter 76 - Missing Persons.

Missing Persons Act
10 USC § 1501 - 1513 (A) policy, control, and oversight within the Department of Defense of the entire process for investigation and recovery related to missing persons (including matters related to search, rescue, escape, and evasion); and (B) coordination for the Department of Defense with other departments and agencies of the United States on all matters concerning missing persons.

Presumed Death under the Missing Persons Act
States laws govern how presumption of death is determined for a missing person. This is a critical phase in getting benefits in a prompt manner to surviving family members. Sample law for Rhode Island.

Defense Prisoner of War Missing Personnel (DPMO)
Provides policy oversight for the mission to recover captured, missing, or isolated personnel, usually military.

Workers Compensation for Overseas Workers

Information on the survivors benefits, including eligibility, etc. Benefits are administered by the Department of Labor.

Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act (LHWCA)
LHWCA forms the basis for workers compensation for overseas workers.

Defense Base Act (DBA) also known as 42 USC § 1651

Defense Base Act extends LHWCA protections to overseas workers employed under contract to US government agencies. Benefits are payable if a casualty is not the result of hostile force(s).

Workers Compensation Clauses for Overseas Performance (PDF)
Article on the application of FAR 52.228-3 and FAR 52.228-4 contract clauses.

War Hazards Compensation Act (WHCA) also known as 42 USC § 1701
Coverage under WHCA is automatically extended to anyone who has DBA. Benefits are payable if a casualty is the result of hostile force(s).

Regulations under WHCA - Employees Benefits
Title 20 Part 61- Claims for Compensation under the War Hazards Compensation Act, as Amended

Federal Employee Compensation Act (FECA)
WHCA benefits are paid directly from the FECA fund

Regulations under FECA
Title 20 Part 10 - Claims for Compensation under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act, as Amended

Dept of Labor DBA LHWCA page

Dept of Labor Compliance Page - FECA WHCA

Reports, Policies, and Manuals

General information and resources.

From the US Department of State:

Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM)

3 FAM 4100 Foreign Affairs Manual
US State Department Employee Responsibility and Conduct
Including 'Guidelines for Personnel Taken Hostage'

7 FAM 000 Foreign Affairs Manual
Consular Protection of US Nationals Abroad

From the US Department of Defense:

Defense Contingency Contracting Handbook

DA PAM 715–16
Contractor Deployment Guide. Procedures for contractor operations within the Department of the Army. Chapters 10 & 11 cover a variety of issues for hostages, including identification, aid, rights, etc. Department of the Army, February 27, 1998

AR 715-9
Contractors Accompanying the Force, November 29, 1999

Field Manual FM 3-100.21 (formerly FM 100-10-2)
Contractors on the Battlefield, Department of the Army, January 3, 2003. General overview of responsibilities includes brief passages and references on Personnel Recovery, Next of Kin Notification, etc.

Army Publishing Directorate
Everything you ever wanted to read in PDF format from the US Army but can't get access to without a password and login. Great way to double check titles and numbers. Also see:

Department of the Army Official Publishing sites
Lists other websites to find publications - alas, some with secure logins

Army Knowledge Online (AKO)
All Departmental Publications and Forms, including distribution-restricted Items

Army Home Page (AHP)
All Unrestricted Departmental Publications and Forms

U.S. Army Publishing Directorate (APD)
Administrative Departmental Publications and Forms (ARs, CIRs, PAMs, OFs, SFs, DD and DA Forms)

U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) Logistics Support Activity
Technical and Equipment Publications(TMs, TBs and SCs)

U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command
Training and Doctrinal Publications (FMs, PBs, TCs and STPs)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Training & Doctrinal, Technical & Equipment Publications with Engineering & Design Criteria (TMs and FMs)

The Surgeon General/Medical Command
Training & Doctrinal, Technical & Equipment Publications with Medical Content (TMs, FMs, and SB 8-75 Series Publications)

Department of Defense Forms
Just what it sounds like. Standard forms galore. See DD Form 1833 Isolated Personnel Report (ISOPREP)

Standard Forms and Casualty Reporting

Everything starts with a standardized form for information.

SIGACT
Significant Activity reports are typically the very first incident report generated in the field.

SPOT
Synchronized Predeployment and Operational Tracker (SPOT). Registration for contractors working overseas.

DCIPS
Defense Casualty Information Processing System. Electronic reporting system used to report and track casualties.

AF CARES
Armed Forces Casualty Assistance Readiness Enhancement System, March 2007. Electronic system for tracking the progress of a casualty through the system. General order of flow: Initial Contact - Initial Visit - Interment - Disposition of Benefits - Disposition of Personal Effects - Disposition of Investigative Reports - Case After Action Report

Form DS-2060
Report of the Death of an American Citizen Abroad

Casualty Matters

AI Part 52.2 01 (DOC)
Basic form to provide to the Contracting Officer for reporting a hostage. See Part 52, page 31, Hostage Reporting instruction, Joint Contracting Command, May 2007

AR 15-6 (PDF)
Commanders responsibilities in initiating an investigation of a casualty. Procedures for Investigating Officers and Boards of Officers, Department of the Army, October 2, 2006

AR 600-8-1 Army Casualty Program
Chapter 13 - Procedures for Casualties Involving Missing Persons (Non-Hostile and Hostile)

FM-27-1
Legal Guide for Commanders including authority for an AR-15 investigation

DODI 1300.18 Casualty Matters, Policies
Personnel Casualty Matters, Policies, and Procedures

DODD 1300.22
Mortuary Affairs, November 21, 2003 Disposition of remains, personal effects, etc.

DODD 2310.2
General policy for Personnel Recovery, Department of Defense, December 22, 2000

DODI 2310.4
Repatriation of Prisoners of War, Hostages, Peacetime Government Detainees and Other Missing or Isolated Personnel

DODI 2310.05 Missing Persons
Accounting for Missing Persons – Boards of Inquiry, Department of Defense, March 14, 2008

DODI 3001.03
Responsibility for disposition of human remains. Accounting for Personnel Lost in Past Conflicts – The Armed Forces Identification Review Board (AFIRB), March 14, 2008

Annual Reports of Missing Persons

Military Casualty and Loss

DOS Country Reports on Terrorism
Annual reports on terrorism incidents (includes kidnappings) of American citizens, listed by year since 2000. Country Reports on Terrorism, US Department of State

NCTC Reports on Terrorism
Annual reports of incidents. National Counterterrorism Center

WITS

Searchable database of worlwide terrorism incidents. Search kidnapping. Worldwide Incidents Tracking System, National Counterterrorism Center

Abbreviations

AI Acquisition Instruction

AR Army Regulation

DODI Department of Defense Instruction

DODD Department of Defense Directive

FAM Foreign Affairs Manual (State Department)

FM Field Manual

Missing Deserter

2011-02-15T01:29:00.000-08:00

While serving in Iraq, a Lebanese-American, US Marine Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun, went missing on June 19, 2004. A week later a videotape provided to Al Jazeera purportedly showed Hassoun held as a hostage. On July 8, 2004, Hassoun suddenly arrived at the embassy in Beirut, Lebanon.

After an investigation into his disappearance, in 2005, Hassoun was charged with desertion. Hassoun disappeared for a second time and is believed to be hiding in Lebanon.

Missing Utah Marine's story could become TV movie
By Jennifer Dobner, Associated Press, Bloomberg, February 11, 2011

The strange tale of a Utah Marine corporal charged with desertion after allegedly faking his own kidnapping in Iraq may be told in a television movie after all, although it may not have input from Wassef Ali Hassoun [the missing guy], or his family.

Los Angeles publicist Michael Sands worked with the family in 2005 on a $1 million book and movie deal to clear Hassoun's name. The deals fell apart after the family balked at signing a contract.

Sands told The Associated Press he now plans to tell the story on his own.

"The Deserter" is a television movie by Sands and retired FBI agent Bob Hamer. It chronicles the Hassoun story and Sands' own role trying to help the family.

The disappearance of Hassoun is not included in the table of Americans Missing in Iraq. I have no idea if a SIGACT report exists for either his 'abduction' or his re-appearance. I just don't find myself motivated enough to even want to look.

Kidnap & Rescue - Discovery Channel

2011-02-01T21:17:00.000-08:00

Episode 105 of a new television series on Discovery Channel, Kidnap & Rescue, will feature Dan O'Shea, former coordinator of the Hostage Working Group in Iraq. A short bio is available at the Discovery Channel website. Kidnap & Rescue premiered January 29, 2011.

Brief interview with O'Shea at the Huffington Post.

Making the Hunters the Hunted: Exploring Hostage-Rescue
By Heather Robinson, Huffington Post, January 29, 2011

[Dan] O'Shea is a consulting producer of "Kidnap & Rescue" on the Discovery Channel, a series on the "global kidnapping crisis" that premiered Saturday night. The series will cover the efforts of O'Shea and others to combat political kidnappings in global hot spots and also cover areas like the kidnapping of businesspeople for ransom, kidnapping for money or revenge by drug cartels, and the kidnapping of women and children by promulgators of child pornography and sex slavery. Saturday's episode focused on Mexican drug cartels; episode five will feature O'Shea.

Side note: the Hostage Working Group was also called the Office of Hostage Affairs at the US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq.

Dan O'Shea biography distributed in a press release from the Discovery Channel.

Additional Information

Kidnap & Rescue - online clips

Kidnap & Rescue Biographies
Discovery Press Web, December 22, 2010

Previous Related Posts

Hostage Working Group - background information
April 1, 2006

Office of Hostage Affairs - background information
September 8, 2006

Bob Hamza - missing

2011-01-23T10:30:00.000-08:00

Who is Bob Hamza?

In the sidebar of a recent Associated Press article, the deputy director for the Personnel Recovery Division, USAF Maj. Jimmy Smith, is shown holding a flyer of 3 missing Americans. The first sentence of the caption reads:

In this Jan. 7, 2011 photo, U.S. Air Force Maj. Jimmy Smith holds a flyer with the photos of missing persons Bob Hamza, left, Abbas Kareem Naama, center and U.S. Army reservist Ahmed Kousay al-Taie, right, in Baghdad, Iraq.

As both Tim Naama and Sgt. Ahmed Kousay al-Taie are Iraqi Americans, I am just going to assume Hamza must be one of the four Iraqi Americans thought to be missing in Iraq. There are two SIGACT reports that specifically identify missing Iraqi Americans: February 1, 2007 and March 3, 2007.

Beyond the sidebar, I can't find any additional information on Bob Hamza or when or how he disappeared.

Somebody out there must know who Bob Hamza is.

References

Search goes on for missing Americans in Iraq
By Kim Gamel, Associated Press, Washington Post, January 23, 2011

SIGACT Reports
December 17, 2010 - since updated

AP Article on Missing Americans

2011-01-21T23:51:00.000-08:00

New article on American hostages and missing persons in Iraq. It more or less centers around Sgt Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie, missing since October 23, 2006.

Unfortunately, there's no formal list of the missing to accompany the article. And based on information within the article, it's reported the U.S. State Department is taking over outstanding cases. Pardon my cynicism but that sounds like a bureaucratic black hole to me - a polite way to tell families, "We're doing everything we can," while accomplishing absolutely nothing.

Search goes on for missing Americans in Iraq
By Kim Gamel, Rebecca Santana, Associated Press, Marine Corps Times, January 21, 2011

The search effort is now in the hands of the military's Personnel Recovery Division, a group of 20 people overseen by Col. Michael Infanti of Stafford, Va.

Infanti was the battalion commander in charge of the search for three U.S. soldiers who went missing after their unit was ambushed south of Baghdad in May 2007. Their remains were found more than a year later, after Infanti and other soldiers, who had spent months combing through the canal-lined terrain, had returned to the U.S.

Besides al-Taie, the Personnel Recovery Division is also looking for seven other Americans, four South Africans and a British man.

The military said it is developing a plan to transfer the cases concerning American citizens to the U.S. State Department, which has promised to maintain a strong diplomatic presence after the troops leave. The other cases will be turned over to their respective countries. more...

The article notes that the SIGACT report for the abduction of Jeffrey Ake can be found in the Iraq War Logs at WikiLeaks - as far as I know, this article is the first from a mainstream news organization to report on the SIGACT reports for Americans missing in Iraq. Call it progress.

According to my own records and assuming Major Troy Lee Gilbert is included, a minimum of 8 to as many as 18 or more Americans still remain missing today.

Update

Washington Post carries the same article but it contains some additional information. In particular, this passage:

Search goes on for missing Americans in Iraq
By Kim Gamel, Associated Press, Washington Post, January 22, 2011

U.S. Air Force Maj. Jimmy Smith, the [Personnel Recovery Division]'s deputy director, said nine American abductees, including three who were still alive, have been recovered in Iraq since 2004.

I'm feeling a little frustrated. Where are the Personnel Recovery Division getting their figures? At least 42 Americans have been abducted in Iraq. Of those, 1 escaped and 5 were released alive; remains of 18 deceased have been recovered; 8 are missing; status of the remaining 10 is unknown.

See the chart in the post linked below.

Additional Reading

SIGACT Reports of Americans Missing in Iraq (includes chart of the missing)
December 17, 2010

Homeland tv pilot

2011-01-07T03:08:00.000-08:00

A television pilot is in the works for Showtime starring Claire Danes and Damian Lewis.

Claire Danes and Damian Lewis to star in Homeland pilot on Showtime
By Christine Nyholm, Examiner.com January 4, 2011

Damian Lewis will play U.S. Marine [Sergeant] Scott Brody - a POW who was missing in Iraq for nearly a decade - who miraculously returns home. Carrie Anderson (Claire Danes) is a driving CIA officer is suspicious of Brody and becomes convinced that the national hero may [be] connected to an Al Qaeda plot. Mandy Patinkin plays Saul, a CIA division chief who is Carrie's boss and mentor.

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T11:11:00.000-08:00

State Department Statistics

2010-12-31T00:36:00.000-08:00

The US Department of State website includes a search feature for Death of U.S. Citizens Abroad by Non-Natural Causes. It appears that the murder of Ryan Manelick on December 14, 2003 is in the database. The presumed death of Kirk von Ackermann on the day of his disappearance, October 9, 2003, is not.

Death of U.S. Citizens Abroad by Non-Natural Causes
US Department of State
Data is available from October 2002 to June 2010

A screen cap for December 14, 2003 is shown below.

The search results show the name of the area as 'Addujayal, Iraq' which in all likelihood is the town of al Dujail - just to the south west of what was then Camp Anaconda (now known as Joint Base Balad). The map below shows the region.

View al Dujail, Iraq in a larger map

I am making my way through the events recorded in the database trying to pair up deaths with known kidnappings.

SIGACT Reports of Americans Missing in Iraq

2010-12-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

There are an estimated 18 Americans still missing in Iraq.

The missing cover a wide range of citizens, from a civilian installing water bottling equipment to military personnel to civilian and government contractors to private security. At least four of the missing are Iraqi American - one of whom is a Staff Sargent.

The WikiLeaks Iraq War Logs (mirror site) includes a number of the earliest known incident reports for the kidnappings of most of these Americans. And, of some of the kidnapping victims, absolutely nothing is known beyond what is in these early reports.

To this day, some of the victim's identities have never been revealed to the public.

SIGACT

The incident reports at the Iraq War Logs - formally known as SIGACT or Significant Activity reports - are often brief and oblique, filed in the very first hours following an abduction. Sometimes details in the early reports are wrong - such as the age, sex or nationality of the kidnap victim. Sometimes the attention to detail is staggering. What's important to keep in mind about these reports is they are the first domino in a chain of events that - in theory - should launch US government agency resources for the recovery of the kidnapping victim. Unfortunately, response seems quite uneven as the reports below imply.

Because continued access to the WikiLeaks sites is constantly shifting, the SIGACT reports are included in full (except for one very long one which is noted). Links within the SIGACT reports are to the WikiLeaks mirror site as the primary Iraq War Logs site appears to be inaccessible at this time.

Also included below is the chart of Americans Missing in Iraq posted and mantained elsewhere on this blog. The chart includes the incident date, name, link to the SIGACT report when available, and status of those Americans known to be missing and/or held hostage in Iraq in table format.

About the Data

Data used for the chart is culled from news articles, the US Department of State annual Country Reports on Terrorism as well as the Worldwide Incidents Tracking System (WITS) of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC). (Side note: the annual reports on "terrorism" do not include kidnappings due to criminal activity). There's some guesswork involved in pairing an incident as reported by the US Department of State with an entry in the Iraq War Logs.

DUSTWUN

One of the acronyms used frequently in the SIGACT reports is DUSTWUN.

Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown (DUSTWUN) is the formal designation for the casualty status of missing military personnel. The proper designation for missing civilian personnel is EAWUN (Excused Absence Whereabouts Unknown). For reasons that are unclear, DUSTWUN appears to be the only term used in the Iraq War Logs.

Last but not least, the formatting of the SIGACT reports is as found at WikiLeaks. Unfortunately, it doesn't always translate to clean html. Any discrepancies are likely my own error.

Americans Missing in Iraq - as of December 19, 2010

Note: links in the chart below are currently inactive. Please use the active links in the SIGACT reports that follow this chart.

	Date	Name - incident report	Status
1	Oct 9, 2003	Kirk von Ackermann	missing	1
2	Apr 9, 2004	Thomas Hamill (see note above)	escaped
3	Apr 9, 2004	Nicholas Evan Berg	deceased
4	Apr 9, 2004	William Bradley	deceased
5	Apr 9, 2004	Pfc Keith Matthew Maupin	deceased
6	Apr 9, 2004	Timothy E Bell	missing	2
7	May 3, 2004	Aban Elias	missing	3
8	Aug 13, 2004	Micah Garen	released
9	Sept 16, 2004	Jack Henlsey	deceased
10	Sept 16, 2004	Olin Eugene Armstrong Jr	deceased
11	Oct 10, 2004	Paul Taggart	released
12	Nov 1, 2004	Roy Hallums	released
13	Nov 2, 2004	Dean Sadek	missing	4
14	Apr 11, 2005	Jeffrey Ake	missing	5
15	May 17, 2005	unknown - incident?	missing	6
16	Aug 2, 2005	Steven Charles Vincent	deceased
17	Sept 27, 2005	Abbas Kareem Naama (Tim)	missing	7
18	Nov 25, 2005	Ronald Alan Schulz	deceased
19	Nov 26, 2005	Thomas William Fox	deceased
20	Dec 2, 2005	unknown	missing	8
21	Jan 7, 2006	Jill Carroll	released
22	Jun 16, 2006	Pfc Kristian Menchaca	deceased
23	Jun 16, 2006	Pfc Thomas Tucker	deceased
24	Oct 23, 2006	Sgt Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie	missing	9
25	Nov 16, 2006	Jonathon Michael Cote	deceased
26	Nov 16, 2006	Paul Christopher Johnson-Reuben	deceased
27	Nov 16, 2006	Joshua Mark Munns	deceased
28	Nov 16, 2006	John Roy Young	deceased
29	Nov 27, 2006	Maj Troy Lee Gilbert (deceased)	missing	10
30	Jan 5, 2007	Ronald J Withrow	deceased
31	Jan 27, 2007	unknown - incident?	missing	11
32	Jan 27, 2007	unknown - incident?	missing	12
33	Feb 1, 2007	unknown Iraqi-American citizen	missing	13
34	Mar 3, 2007	unknown American-Iraqi citizen	missing	14
35	Apr 25, 2007	unknown	missing	15
36	May 12, 2007	Sgt Alex Ramon Jimenez	deceased
37	May 12, 2007	Pfc Byron W Fouty	deceased
38	May 25, 2007	unknown	missing	16
39	Aug 17, 2007	unknown	missing	17
40	summer 2008	unknown	missing	18
41	May 21, 2009	Jim Kitterman	deceased
42	Jan 23, 2010	Issa T Salomi	released

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.

Significant Activity Reports (SIGACT)

Note: use the following active links to access the original reports at a WikiLeaks mirror site.

From WikiLeaks, Iraq War Logs, published October 22, 2010, active links to mirror site

Timothy Bell, William Bradley, Thomas Hamill and US Army Pfc Keith Matthew Maupin were abducted on April 9, 2004. Hamill later escaped his kidnappers. Bradley's body was recovered and identified in 2005. Maupin's body was recovered and identified in 2008. Bell remains missing.

COORDINATED ATTK ON ___ CONVOY IN ZONE : ___ KIA; ___ KILLED
2004-04-09 06:25:00

( ) -___ CAV REPORTED THAT THE ___ CONVOY WAS AMBUSHED. -___ CAV REPORTS ___ MILITARY ___ CAUGHT FIRE. ___ TRANS CONVOY HIT A ROADBLOCK AT ___. THEY THEN ___ SMALL ARMS FIRE WITH 1X ___ AND 1X HMMWV DAMAGED. THE CONVOY PUSHED ___ THE ROAD BLOCK AND WAS THEN AMBUSHED WITH APPROXIMATELY ___ RPGS AND ADDITIONAL SMALL ARMS AT . -___ CAV REPORTS ___ CASUALTIES IN ALL TRANSPORTED TO LOG ___ FOR TREATMENT OR FURTHER EVACUATION. ___ US ___ KIA (1X DOW) AND ___ IZ CIVILIAN KILLED; ___ LITTER URGENT WOUNDED AND ___ AMBULATORY WOUNDED. ___ REPORTS THAT ___ US SOLDIERS AND ___ EMPLOYEES ARE ___ FOR FROM THE ATTACK TODAY. ALL MED FACILITIES, MORTUARY AFFAIRS AND THE -___ CAV HAVE BEEN COORDINATED WITH FOR THE MISSING PERSONS WHEREABOUTS, WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS.

Olin Eugene Armstrong and Jack Hensley were abducted on September 16, 2004. Both men were decapitated by their kidnappers. Their bodies were recovered and identified a week later.

CIV CONTRACTORS ABDUCTED BY AIF IN BAGHDAD(ZONE ): ___ ABDUCTED
2004-09-16 01:25:00

AT 0725D, ___ REPORTS THAT 2X US CONTRACTORS AND 1X UK CONTRACTOR WERE ABDUCTED FROM THE ___ DISTRICT-___ VILLAGE. ALL THREE VICTIMS WERE ABDUCTED BY 5X AIF AND WERE SEEN IN A BLUE KIA (UNKNOWN DIRECTION OF TRAVEL). ALSO TAKEN FROM THE SCENE WAS A ___, UNKNOWN COLOR. ALL THREE VICTIMS WORK FOR GULF SUPPLY SERVICES.

Paul Taggart was abducted on October 10, 2004. He was released several days later.

US ____ KIDNAPPED IN BAGHDAD (ZONE ___)
2004-10-10 11:00:00

AT 1600C, /___ MP REPORTS THAT AN ___ WAS KIDNAPPED NEAR THE ___ HOSPITAL. THE E___ DRIVER AND ___ REPORTED THE KIDNAPPING TO THE ___ IP STATION. HE WAS WEARING A LIGHT BLUE GOLF SHIRT AND BLUE JEANS. E___ NAME IS ___. KIDNAPPERS WERE DRIVING A BLACK ___ PLATES. IPS CASE NUMBER ___, INVESTIGATING OFFICER ___ BADGE # ___.

Roy Hallums was abducted on November 1, 2004. He was released 10 months later, in 2005.

CIVILIANS KIDNAPPED IVO BAGHDAD (ZONE ): ___ AIF KIA, ___ KILLED, ___
2004-11-01 11:42:00

AT 1742C, US EMBASSY OFFICIALS ___ THAT A ___ FINANCIAL BUSINESS IN THE ___ DISTRICT WAS ATTACKED IN FORCE BY AN UNKNOWN NUMBER OF AIF IN 3X VEHICLES. 2X AIF KIA, 1X SECURITY GUARD KILLED. HOSTAGES ARE 5X LN MALE ADULTS, AND 1X US CITIZEN. ALL WERE MEMBERS OF THE ___ INDEPENDENT SECURITY FIRM. VEHICLES ARE DESCRIBED AS 1X WHITE KIA TRUCK, 1X RED ___ WITH AN RPG, AND 1X WHITE KIA ___-DOOR SEDAN. THE DEAD AIF WAS IN POSSESSION OF A CELL PHONE.

Dean Sadek (also known as Radim Sadeq Mohammed Sadeq) was abducted on November 2, 2004. He remains missing.

KIDNAPPING ___ BY IPS IVO BAGHDAD (ZONE ): ___ BORN US CITIZEN
2004-11-02 17:35:00

AT 2335C, IPS REPORTED A ___ BORN ( ___) WHO HOLDS A .___. PASSPORT WAS KIDNAPPED. ___ DISPATCHED A PATROL TO THE LOCATION TO INVESTIGATE. INCIDENT OCCURRED AT //___. THERE WERE 3X LN'___ PRESENT WHEN THE KIDNAPPING TOOK PLACE. THERE WERE -___ GUNMEN WEARING MASK AND CARRYING AK-'___, EXCEPT FOR 1X KIDNAPPER WHO WAS NOT WEARING A MASK. HE HAD A SCAR ON HIS FACE AND CARRIED A GOLD COLORED PISTOL. THE KIDNAPPERS TOLD EVERYONE TO GET ON THE ___ AND ASKED FOR ___ BY NAME. NO SHOTS WERE FIRED AND THERE IS NO DESCRIPTION OF ANY VEHICLES.

Jeffrey Ake was abducted on April 11, 2005. He remains missing.

KIDNAPPING IN BAGHDAD (ZONE ): ___ CF INJ/DAMAGE
2005-04-11 08:36:00

AT 1436D, JCC REPORTED BEING CONTACTED BY AN ___ CONTRACTOR STATING ___ MASKED GUNMEN PULLED UP TO A WATER TREATMENT PLANT AND DEMANDED TO SEE THE ___ WHO WAS WORKING THERE THEY TOOK HIM AWAY. ___ PHONES WERE ALSO STOLEN ___ AND ___ X BLACK ___(NO PLATES) / SECOND UNSEEN CAR. ALSO STOLEN WAS EMPLOYEES BLACK ( ___. NO CF INJ/DAMAGE

UPDATE 2053D -___ CDR QUESTION CIV WHO STATED VICTIM WAS ZIP TIED( CIV BELIEVED HE WAS FRENCH) AND PLACED INTO A BLACK ___ AND SPED OFF IN HEADING TOWARDS ___ BOOR. VICTIM ONLY WORKED THERE ___ DAYS

According to a report from the US State Department, an Unknown American citizen was abducted on May 17, 2005. The SIGACT logs include a kidnapping report for May 16, 2005.

CIV KIDNAPPED IN BAGHDAD(ZONE ): ___ CIV MISSING, ___ CF INJ/DAMAGE
2005-05-16 10:00:00

AT 1600D, A ___ SITE ENGINEER, A FOREMAN, AND A DRIVER ___ KIDNAPPED ON THEIR WAY BACK FROM THE ___ WEST BAGHDAD ___. THE KIDNAPPERS WERE TRAVELING IN A BLACK ___ AND ___. THE KIDNAPPERS LATER RELEASED THE FOREMAN AND THE DRIVER AT A FARM EN ROUTE ___ FALLUJAH. THE KIDNAPPERS ASKED FOR A ,___. THE KIDNAPPERS THEN CONTACTED ___ COMPANY AND MADE MORE THREATS. AS OF ___, THE RANSOM FOR THE RELEASE OF THE KIDNAPPED ENGINEER WAS ,___. CLOSED

Steven Charles Vincent was abducted on August 2, 2005. He was killed later that day. His body was recovered and identified. Journalist,

KIDNAPPING OF CIV IN BASRAH CITY: ___ CIV KILLED, ___ CIV INJ, ___ CF INJ/DAMAGE
2005-08-02 12:34:00

___, THE ___ OF A MONEY EXCHANGE REPORTED THE KIDNAPPING OF ___ X ___ (POSSIBLY WESTERN) AND ___ X FEMALE ( ___) IVO GR ___ BASRAH CITY. A LARGE NUMBER OF DOCUMENTS WERE LEFT AT THE SCENE AND THESE ARE BEING TAKEN TO THE ___ CONSULATE AT BASRAH PALACE. SUBSEQUENT PJOC REPORTING INDICATES THAT THE ___ CIV WERE THROWN FROM A CAR AT , ___ DISTRICT BASRAH. THE US MALE HAD BEEN SHOT ___ TIMES AND DOW AND IS IN THE MORGUE AT ___ HOSPITAL ( ___), THE IZ FEMALE WAS SHOT THREE TIMES AND HAS BEEN MEDEVACED TO ___ HOSPITAL . FEMALE HAS BEEN QUESTIONED BY THE IPS. US MISSION INFORMED AND MEETING WITH ___ CG.

Jill Carroll was abducted on January 7, 2006. She was released three months later.

KIDNAPPING OF CIV ___ IN BAGHDAD (ZONE ): ___ CIV KIDNAPPED, ___ CIV KILLED,
2006-01-07 05:49:00

AT , ___ US FEMALE ___ WAS KIDNAPPED. ONE OF HER ___ WAS KILLED. SUSPECTS ARE TRAVELING IN A RED TOYOTA : ___, BLACK ___ PLATE. UNK DIRECTION OF TRAVEL.

SUMMARY ___ US FEMALE ___ KIDNAPPED,___ KIA.

UPDATE ___: VEHICLE IS A RED TOYOTA ___, LICENSE: ___. BLACK ___ ALSO REPORTED INVOLVED

UPDATE : -___ UNIT ON SCENE REPORTS THAT ___ ON SCENE SAY THAT THE KIDNAPPERS FLED IN A ___ BLACK ___ BELONGING TO THE KIA TERP

UPDATE: ___ PERSON IS , ___ FOR THE ___ US CITIZEN, ABOUT ___ FEET ___ INCHES, BROWN HAIR, DIED RED, LIGHT COMPLEXION, SLIM 3 PROBABLY ___ POUNDS

WHAT WE KNOW:

. ___ WAS IN A RED, TOYOTA ___ TOYOTA ___ WITH HER DRIVER AND ___, EITHER GOING TO OR RETURNING FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH ___, A ___ POLITICAL LEADER, AT HIS OFFICE IN THE ___ NEIGHBORHOOD.
___. KIDNAPPING OCCURRED ___ METERS BACK FROM F ___G OFFICE, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE F___ ENDOWMENT,G THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE THAT CONTROLS ALL ___ MOSQUES IN ___, BEFORE / AFTER MEETING WITH .
___. DRIVER NOT INJURED. HE GOT TO AN IRAQI MILITARY BASE, NEAR ___ STREET NEAR ___ MOSQUE. HEE___ STILL THERE.
___. THE KIDNAPPERS APPARENTLY KILLED THE ___, AND HIS BODY IS STILL IN THE STREET IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, ABOUT ___ METERS FROM E___ OFFICE, WHICH WE BELIEVE IS NEAR THE ___ ENDOWMENT / F___,G IN .
___. APPARENTLY THE KIDNAPPERS TOOK THE CAR 3 WHICH IS A RED TOYOTA , ___ MODEL.
___. THE TRANSLATORS NAME IS ___, AS STATED ABOVE, WE BELIEVE HIS BODY IS STILL IN THE STREET IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

UPDATE : ___ INFORMS ___ CDR REQUESTS HIS FORCES INCREASE ITS COMBAT PATROLS IN THE ___ DISTRICT. HE ___ THE KIDNAPPERS ARE IN THE AREA. PASSING ON TO BAGHDAD.

Pfc Kristian Menchaca and Pfc Thomas Tucker were abducted on June 16, 2006. Several days later, the mutilated and tortured bodies of both men were recovered and identified.

COMPLEX ATTK ON /-___ IN IVO ___ (ZONE ): ___ KIA/DAMAGE
2006-06-16 13:55:00

****** INITIAL INCIDENT REPORT AND TIMELINE PRECEDING THAT BELOW HAS BEEN ATTACHED AS A WORD DOCUMENT.*****

___ JUN: COL ___ OF A TIP RECEIVED STATING A UNIFORMED .___. SOLDIER'___ BODY WAS LOCATED ON THE LEFT BANK OF THE NUMBER ___ IRRIGATION CANAL (" ___") IN THE ___ AREA NEAR ___. THE LOCATION THE IA .
___: LIFT ___ DEPARTS BIAP TO PICK UP ___ FOR ___-FILL.
___: LIFT ___ WHEELS UP FROM BIAP ENROUTE TO PZ CROW FOR ___-FILL.
: ___ SPOTS A BODY FLOATING SOUTH EAST IN ___ CANAL VIC
: ___ UPDATES GRID VIC
___: CURRENT GRID OF SUSPECTED REMAINS
___: WHEELS UP FROM LZ STRIKE ENROUTE TO PZ CROW TO ___-FILL ___ AND CONDUCT ___ OPERATIONS.
: /-___ CONFIRMS PULLING 1XLN BODY OUT OF ___ CANAL.
: ___ EXFIL COMPLETE
: ___ THAT THE DIVE TEAM HAS CLEARED AS FAR AS THEY ARE ABLE TO CLEAR DUE TO THE INABILITY TO CLEAR DOWN RTE ___. UNTIL WE CAN CLEAR FURTHER DOWN ___ OR THE DIVE TEAM CAN FORMULATE AN ALTERNATE PLAN.
___: A/-___ REPORTS FINDING A SECOND IED ___ UP THE ROAD FROM THE IED
___: SOF REPORTS WHEELS UP ENROUTE TO THE POSSIBLE CRAWLING BODY TO INVESTIGATE.
___: LIFT ___ SERIAL ___ WHEELS UP FROM PZ CROW (RE-SUPPLY)
___: HILLAH SWAT REPORTS -___ OBJECTIVES -___ ARE CLEAR, THE ELEMENTS ARE MOVING TO PZ POSTURE ___ TO ___-FILL.
___: SOF WHEELS DOWN AT THE SITE WHERE THE CRAWLING BODY WAS REPORTED. CURRENTLY INVESTIGATING THE SITE.
___: SOF REPORTS NSTR ON THE SEARCH OF THE BODY THAT WAS CRAWLING. THE SOF ELEMENT LEAVES THE AREA.
LIFT ___ OF HILLAH SWAT ___ WHEELS UP AT LZ PINE ENROUTE TO PZ SPARK.
___ 0020D JUN : HILLAH SWAT ___-FILL COMPLETE.
___: 2X DIVE TEAMS CURRENTLY AT PZ POSTURE PREPARED TO BE ___-FILLED.
___ FOR THE DIVE TEAM
___: SIC AND ___ X PLT -___ MOVES DOWN
___: DUSTWUN RECOVERY OPERATION STARTS AT THE ___ PLANT
___: WHEELS UP FROM ___-GRAB ENROUTE TO ___ TO CONDUCT .
___: WHEELS DOWN AT ___ TO CONDUCT
: -___ BEGINS TO CLEAR ___, C2, , ,
___: WHEELS UP FROM LZ STRIKE ENROUTE TO PICK UP ___ SOLDIERS TO MOVE THEM TO FOB .
: -___ IN DETAINED 2X LN VIC ___ IN SUPPORT OF ___ COURAGE RESOLVE. THE DETAINEES ___ CARE BY -___. THE 2X LN WERE BROTHERS BELIEVED TO BE A PART OF THE ___ CELL.
___: LIFT ___ WHEELS UP PZ STRIKE
___: LIFT ___ ARRIVES AT PZ .
___: LIFT ___ WHEELS DOWN AT LZ ___ FOR ___ OF OBJ COURAGE.
___: LIFT ___ WHEELS UP FROM PZ PINE ENROUTE TO SITE.
___: WHEELS DOWN PZ
___: WHEELS UP
___: WHEELS DOWN LZ
___: WHEELS UP AT LZ
: ___ LIFT DEPART PZ PINE ENROUTE PZ
: ___ LIFT DEPART PZ PINE ENROUTE PZ
: ___ LIFT WHEELS UP FROM PZ ___ ENROUTE PZ PINE
: ___ LIFT WHEELS DOWN PZ PINE
: ___ LIFT FROM PZ ___ ENROUTE PZ PINE
___ WHEELS DOWN PZ PINE.
: -___ IN REPORT ___ ON PERSONNEL AND ___-MISSION COMPLETE
___ BDE DIRECTED TO CLOSE SIGACT AND UPDATE MISSION ICONS

SUMMARY:
___ X SAF AND RPG
___ X US KIA
CLOSED

Sgt Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie was abducted on October 23, 2006. He remains missing.

*DUSTWUN ___ BY ___ ID HQ IN ___ ( ZONE ); ___ DUSTWUN, ___ DAMAGE
2006-10-23 12:00:00

AT 1400C-1430C IN ___ (ZONE ___ ) IVO , ___ HQ REPORTS A DUSTWUN SOLDIER, LAST TIME SEEN IN UNIFORM IN THE IZ
___.

SEE 231700C ATTACHMENT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Jonathon Michael Cote, Paul Christopher Johnson-Ruben, Joshua Mark Munns, John Roy Young were abducted on November 16, 2006. Their remains were recovered and identified in 2008.

*HIJACKING OF CIV CONVOY IVO : ___ AIF KIA, ___ US ___
2006-11-16 06:43:00

AT 1243C, AT ( ___) A CONVOY FROM ___ CONSISTING OF (___) VEH AND ESCORTED BY (___) GUN TRUCKS OF CRESCENT SECURITY WAS STOPPED BY (___) MEN DRESSED AS IPS IN GREEN AND BLACK FATIGUES, RED BERETS AND WEARING SKI MASKS. THE MEN APPROACHED THE CONVOY WITH AK VARIANTS AND, WHEN THE CONVOY TRIED TO DRIVE AWAY, THE WINDSCREEN OF THE LEAD VEH WAS SHOT OUT, ONCE STOPPED (___) MILITIA MEN APPEARED FROM BEHIND COVER. ___ SEIZED INCLUDED (___) X US, (___) X AUS AND (___) LN AND ONE PSD GUN TRUCK AND ___ CIV FLAT BEDS. THEY ARE ___ TO HAVE BEEN SIGHTED IN BASRA (UNCONFIRMED). THE AIF IN IP UNIFORM ALSO TOOK ___ OF THE GUN TRUCKS AND BLOCKED EACH ___ HIGHWAY AND THE TOOK THE KEYS AND DEPARTED.

UK QRF IS ON SITE AS IS A US UNIT. FIXED AND ROTARY WING ASSETS HAVE ALSO BEEN TASKED

CRESCENT SECURITY HAS DESPATCHED (___) GUN TRUCKS FROM ___ WITH SPARE KEYS FOR THE () ___ BLOCKING THE ROAD.

___ US CIV, ___ CIV AND ___ LN DET/___ CIV TRUCKS AND ___ VEH DET.

1645C UPDATE: HI-JACKED PSD VEH IS A SILVER ___ AVALANCHE WITH CREW MOUNTED ___ ON REAR. ALL CIV TRUCKS WERE FROM THE ___ COMPANY AND WERE EMPTY TRAVELLING TO THE ___ BASE IN ___ TO RECOVER STORES/___ OUT OF THEATRE. MND(SE) HAVE ENGAGED ___ IA DIV, THE IPS AND DBE IN THIS INCIDENT.

1710C UPDATE. CONVOY STOPPED BY (___) 'IPS'. ___ HAS ALERTED ALL POLICE STATIONS. MND(SE) HAVE ___, SF AND AVN ASSETS STOOD BY IN ORDER TO STRIKE WHEN THE LOC OF DETAINED PERSONNEL ARE KNOWN. ___, THE IPS CHIEF OF POLICE HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS ALLEGED 'IPS' ACTIVITY.

1725C - ___ PSD VEH HIJACKED ONLY.

1825C - MND(SE) FULL ___ ATTACHED WITH ___. ADDITIONALLY MND(SE) SENDING CF TROOPS TO EVERY POLICE STATION TO CHECK FOR THE DETAINEES.

0300C - UPDATED TIMELINE ATTACHED.

___ 1025C UPDATE: OP ___ ATTACHED. OP TOOK PLACE AT ___ 0408C TO ATTEMPT TO RESCUE THE HOSTAGE ON INTELLIGENCE RECEIVED. ___ WERE KIA. NO CF INJ NO DAMAGE. NO HOSTAGES WERE FOUND.

0700C- A RAID WAS CONDUCTED AT 0330C ON A LOCATION AT , ___ DID NOT FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF HOSTAGES OR KIDNAPPERS. ___ X AIF WERE KIA IN THE PROCESS.

___ NOV - UPDATE: MND-SE REPORTED THAT 9X LN KIDNAPPED HAVE BEEN RELEASED. CURRENTLY TRACKING 4X US CIV AND 1X ___ CIV MISSING.

___

The body of Major Troy Lee Gilbert was taken by anti-coalition forces from a crash site on November 27, 2006. Video of Gilbert's body was later posted on the internet. Remains from the crash site were positively identified shortly after the crash but his body is still missing.

(NON-COMBAT EVENT) ACCIDENT RPT BY AF - : ___ CF KIA
2006-11-27 07:40:00

___ RECEIVED FROM SOF LNO THAT 1X -___ (HOUND ___) DOWN. A/___ WAS IN SUPPORT OF A TIC WHEN IT FAILED TO PULL OUT OF A ___ RUN AND CRASHED.
: ___ DOWNED , ___ INITIATED THROUGH ___ CHAT.
___: BATTLE MAJOR ALERTS ___ TO BRING ___ TO
___: ATK AVN DIRECTED TO CRASH SITE.
___: UAV DIRECTED TO SITE (PREDATOR GREY)
: / (___) IN ZONE ___, ISO DOWNED AC
:
: ___ LAUNCH AUTHORIZED BY CG. ___ DIRECTS ___ TO LAUNCH ___
1X UH- / ___ PAX ___ SITE. ___ "LEGION" FREQUENCY . /
- ___ BCT ORDERED TO ___ PLT IOT REINFORCE CRASH SITE AS REQUIRED
- ___ ACKNOWLEDGES ORDER
___ ETA: ___ MIN
: ___ WITHDRAWN /___ FROM
___ CONFIRMS ___ AT ___ AT FOB TAJI
___: CORPS ___ APPROVES ___ SHIFT /___ MNF-___ AND MND-___.
272246NOV06: SP FOB TAJI WITH TF ___, EOD, HUSKY, ___, AND RECOVERY ASSETS. TOC HAS SHADOW COVERAGE OVER AREA AND ATTACK AIR IS ON STATION AND IN ___ WITH MOVEMENT UNIT.
280010NOV06: MOVEMENT UNIT HAS REACHED ___ .
280020NOV06: MOVEMENT UNIT HAS REACHED VIC ___.
280045NOV06: MOVEMENT UNIT HAS REACHED MC ___.
280100NOV06: RECOVERY TEAM HAS STARTED MOVEMENT FROM ___ WEST ALONG .
: ___ TEAM HAS REACHED GRID MC ___.
280310NOV06: GO ___ REPORTS FINDING AN IED VIC MC ___. EOD ___ PLACE WITH CONTROLLED BLAST.
280335NOV06: EOD CONDUCTS CONTROLLED BLAST. IED WAS FOUND IN DIRT MOUND ON THE NORTH SIDE OF ROUTE . ___ AND NO DAMAGE REPORTED. CONTINUING MISSION.
280405NOV06: RECOVERY TEAM REACHES ___.
280427NOV06: RECOVERY TEAM REACHES ___.
280515NOV06: FM LINK UP WITH CALAMITY ___ (MARINES).
280527NOV06: VISUAL ___ WITH MARINES.
280535NOV06: ON THE GROUND WITH MARINE UNITS.
280945NOV06: ___ WITH ___ ON THE ___ AT CRASH SITE ESTABLISHED. EXTERNAL EOD ARRIVED, ___. NO ADDITIONAL ___ ARE REQUESTED. MOVEMENT VEHICLES CONSUMED APPROX. /___ FUEL TO GET THERE. WAITING FOR SSE TEAM TO CONDUCT EXPLOITATION BEFORE PICKING UP DEBRIS.
281405NOV06: MESSAGE FROM ___ STATES THAT THEY ARE VIC GRID MC ___, PERIMETER IS SECURE, NO ENEMY ___, NO LOCAL NATIONAL INTEREST. UNIT HAS PATROLLED HOUSES ON THE ___, NO ___ WITH PILOT, DO NOT EXPECT THAT TO CHANGE. THEY HAVE YELLOW SMOKE AND -___ PANEL. FREQ IS ___ CT ___, CH ___. EOD AND ACCIDENT REVIEW BD HAS JUST RELEASED THE SITE.
281413NOV06: MESSAGE FROM ___ STATES THAT HIS UNIT IS CURRENTLY POLICING UP THE WRECKAGE AND LOADING IT INTO THE ___ AND ONTO THE ___. ALL ___ HAS BEEN ISOLATED AND EOD IS PREPARING TO DESTROY IT ON SITE. THE USAF ___ THE SITE AT ___ AND ___ EXPECTS TO BE DONE WORKING BY THEN. SECURITY IS SET WITH NO ISSUES, NEGATIVE ENEMY ___, HLZ IS PREPARED FOR ___. EXPECTED TIME OF DEPARTURE FOR FOB TAJI IS NLT ___.
281434NOV06: MESSAGE FROM ___, ENEMY ___ IS NOT LIKELY BUT POSSIBLE. MOST LIKELY ___ WOULD BE A MORTAR OR DRIVE-BY.
: ___ DECLARED DUSTWUN.
021343DEC06: STATUS CHANGED TO KILLED IN ACTION (KIA) ON ___ DEC ___.
041530DEC06: AS A RESULT OF TESTING AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS THE STATUS OF THE -___ PILOT WHOSE PLANE CRASHED VIC ___ HAS CHANGED FROM DUSTWUN TO DECEASED. WITH THIS NEW STATUS, THE NATURE OF THE RECOVERY OPERATION HAS CHANGED FROM DUSTWUN TO THE RECOVERY OF AN ___ PILOTE___ REMAINS.
FOR THESE REASONS, /___ CD ___ WESTERN RECOVERY AND RETIRE FROM ___ RECOVERY TO FOB TAJI, WITH ALL FORCES RETURNING TO PARENT ___ AND RE-ESTABLISHING FRAMEWORK OPERATIONS.
////////CLOSED////////CLOSED///////CLOSED///////CLOSED

Ronald J Withrow was abducted on January 5, 2007. His remains were recovered and identified in 2008.

(CRIMINAL EVENT) KIDNAPPING RPT BY ___ IVO ___ BASRAH: ___ CIV KIA
2007-01-05 04:54:00

At 051054CJAN07 the ___ reported that a phone-in ___ had stated that a US citizen and two interpreters had been kidnapped at GR ___.

There are conflicting reports, but it appears that the ( ), ___ driver (___) and a guard (___) had been escorted South from ___ by ___ police to a VCP at ___ where the BASRA police took over. The BASRA police were reported to have escorted ___ in his car (a grey Opal estate ___) as far as GR ___.

It has also been reported that E___ two assistants were talking on a mobile phone to their employers (___ Worldwide) just inside BASRA reporting that ___ was being kidnapped and placed in a white Toyota Mk ___ when their phone went dead. This is ___-corroborated by other reporting that ___ and his two assistants were kidnapped by ___ armed men in three white ___ and four white double-___ pickups with tinted windows and no ___ at GR ___.

The ___ implemented an IPS C___ TRAPE VCP operation to attempt to find ___ and his ___ assistants. Both City ___ were given details of kidnap victims and vehicles for possible future follow-up action.

___ Worldwide details of ___ and his ___ assistants:

. ___ driver Passport No
___'ad A. ___ guard Passport No M
___ IT Passport No ___

At 1515C Key Leadership Engagement took place at the ___ between members of the ___ and members of the ISF. , ___ commander at ( ___), reported to the ___ that the US citizen went to the ___ at GR ___ of his own accord to ask for help.

___ reported that ___ that an ___ citizen had walked into the IPS station at ___ at 0900C and requested an escort to the COB. He spoke to ___ Lt ___ the ___ and were told to escort him to GR ___. At GR ___, at the time of the kidnapping there were four Toyota cars and six ___ pickups (all with tinted windows). The occupants were armed with RPGs and ___. Two ___ of ___ (already in MNF custody) appeared to be in charge of the kidnappers. ___ Lt ___ been arrested on suspicion of collusion.

At 2300C it was reported through the ___ that the two ___ (driver and guard) travelling with ___ had been executed by two gunshots to the back of the ___.

According to a report from the US State Department, two Unknown American citizens were abducted on January 27, 2007. The SIGACT logs include a kidnapping report for January 29, 2007.

(CRIMINAL EVENT) KIDNAPPING Report BY NOT PROVIDED In the vicinity of AS _ INJ/DAM
2007-01-29 05:30:00

, ___ ANNOUNCED THAT 4X PERSONNEL WERE MISSING.

. ___ US CITIZEN
. ___ #
. -
. - ___ NEWSPAPER ___

According to a report from the US State Department, an Unknown American citizen was abducted on February 1, 2007. The SIGACT logs include a kidnapping report for the same day.

(CRIMINAL EVENT) KIDNAPPING RPT BY -___ ID IVO BAGHDAD (ZONE ): ___ INJ/DAM
2007-02-01 04:59:00

MND-___ EVENT (___)
UNIT:-___ ID
KIDNAPPING
___: 1X IRAQI-US CITIZEN WAS KIDNAPPED FROM UNK LOCATION AND WAS REPORTED THAT HE WAS TAKEN TO THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATION HE WAS OR IS PART OF THE PSD FOR ___ DIRECTOR
: -___ QRF WAS NOTIFIED TO SPIN UP AND MOVE TO THE LOCATION TO HELP THE IP UNIT OUT OF
-___ ENTERED MINISTRY OF ___ BUILDING, NSTR
-___ COLLECTED SECURITY TAPES FROM BUILDING TO REVIEW FOR POSSIBLE VICTIM.
UPDATE: ___: QRF IS RETURNING TO FOB WITH NSTR
SUMMARY:
___ X KIDNAPPING
CLOSED

According to a report from the US State Department, an Unknown American citizens was abducted on March 3, 2007. The SIGACT logs include a kidnapping report for the same day.

(CRIMINAL EVENT) KIDNAPPING RPT BY MNF-___ IVO BAGHDAD (ZONE ): ___ INJ/DAM
2007-03-03 03:00:00

-___, a dual US/IZ citizen and employee of ___ contract company ___, was abducted this morning by three unidentified men. We believe he was abducted between ___ and ___ based on the time he usually leaves his house to go to work. The ___ likely took place near his home in ___ (Baghdad) on his way to his office in the Green Zone. He was due to arrive at ___. At ___ hours, after he did not arrive at ___ in the IZ, a ___ attempted to ___ him and his phone was turned off (which we are told is unusual). At ___ hours, -E ___ phoned another ___ employee and indicated that three armed men were attempting to break into her home (see below for home address). The men came into the home, indicated -___ was a traitor and worked for the ___. The ___ stated that F-___ is with usG and demanded money, gold and the AK-___ which was kept in the home (note: -___ was not seen during this event 3 he was not brought back to his house by the ___. The robbers seemed to know where to locate the weapon within the house, indicating that -___ may have told them where to find it after being abducted. The robbers also revealed information regarding the E___ pregnancy and due date, further indicating that the robbers had spoken with/taken -___). Three house ___ were also on the property and witnessed the event. The ___/robbers came and left by climbing over a ___ outside the home. It is unknown whether they left on foot or by car.

The robbers took the E___ phone. There has been no SIGINT activity on this phone (or on -E___ cell phone) since this event.

We are currently working on the discrepancy for -E___ home and ___ we have further. To (hopefully) clarify any confusion with these addresses:

We are looking at two ___.

Location ___ 3 The home of the kidnap victim, -___. The robbery described above occurred at this location.

Location ___ 3 The home of - -- ___ Party leader who controls the neighborhood where -___ lives. It is possible that -___ (victim) was taken to this location and/or the ___/robbers retreated to this location.

What we are trying to resolve: At the interview location, we were provided -E___ home address by his employer. This address is ___ District . ___, House ___. The employer, assisted by an employee familiar with these locations, pulled up a ___ photograph and pointed out -E___ (victim) home in relation to -E___ (suspect) home. This ___ photograph of the location does not match the ___ overhead identification of the address given by the employer. This discrepancy may be explained by the frequent inability of Iraqi nationals to correctly identify locations based on overhead imagery.

////___////CLOSED/////

Sgt Alex Ramon Jimenez and Pfc Byron W Fouty were abducted on May 12, 2007. Remains of both men were later recovered and identified in 2008.

(EXPLOSIVE HAZARD) Improvised Explosive Device EXPLOSION Report (Improvised Explosive Device (Improvised Explosive Device)) /-___ In the vicinity of (ROUTE ): ___ Coalition Forces Killed in Action ___ Coalition Forces Wounded in Action ___ ISF Killed in Action ___ UE Killed in Action ___ UE Wounded in Action ___ UE DET
2007-05-11 22:44:00

UNIT: /___ MTN
WHO: /-___
WHAT: UNKNOWN EXPLOSIONS
WHERE: CRATER ___ POSITION VIC GRID ___
TIMELINE:
___: BAYONET HEARS EXPLOSIONS VIC RTE
/-___ REPORTS UNABLE TO GET ___ WITH //-___ ELEMENT (___) CONSISTING OF ___ VEHICLES AND ___ PAX PROVIDING CRATER ___ IN TIER ___ IED LOCATION.
___: SHADOW ON STATION OBSERVES ___ X VEHICLES ON FIRE
: //- ___/A/-___ HAVE LINKED UP AT SITE OF EXPLOSIONS AND REPORT ROUNDS COOKING OFF FROM VEHICLES.
___: ELEMENT AT SITE HAS OBSERVED ___ LEADING TO A COURTYARD WHERE THEY END. FRESH TIRE TRACKS LEAD EAST AT THAT LOCATION. CAS ON STATION OBSERVING ___ X ___ TRUCKS TRAVELING NORTHWEST ON .
: ___ X ___ TURNED EAST AT
: ___ HAS FOUND AN ASSAULT , ___ AND ___ HELMET.
CAS IS OBSERVING THE ___ THAT TURNED EAST OFF OF RTE .
___: ELEMENT AT SITE REPORTS ___ X KIA, IDENTITY UNK, STILL SEARCHING FOR ___ X US PAX.
___: CAS CONTINUES TO MONITOR ___ X ___ VEHICLES MOVING NORTHWEST.
: ___ X ___ TRUCKS STOPPED AT VIC
: ___ X ___ THE ___ X
___: BG /___ ENROUTE TO LOCATION.
___ X ___ OBSERVED RUNNING SOUTHWEST AWAY FROM THE .
: -___ EOD SP FROM FOB ___ ENROUTE TO ___ X .
___: BG ___ SEARCH RTE ___ AND RTE
: /___ REPORTS NSTR FROM SEARCHING THE VEHICLES.
: /___ MOVING A ___ X PAX ELEMENT TO
: //___ IA, /___ AND -___ DETAIN ___ X LN FROM THE ___ OF THE ___ TRUCKS.
: /___ REPORTS BLOCKING POSITION AT - ___ PAX
: ___ X US CONFIRMED KIA - ___
KIA WAS FOUND AT A HOUSE - ___. BLOOD WAS ON THE DOOR. THE BODY IS ___ TO BE BOOBY-TRAPPED. THE BODY IS LAYING ON TOP OF HIS .
: //-___ DEPART FROM PB ___ TO ESTABLISH A
: /-___ REPORTS ___ X REMAINS ARE IN THE SOUTH
: /-___ REPORTS ___ X REMAINS ARE IN THE NORTH VEHICLE
: /___ AT PB
: /___ AT
: //-___ REPORTS FINDING A PAIR OF BURNT ___ BOOT-SOLES AT
: ___ X DETAINEES OF THE ___ TESTED POSITIVE - PINK
: ___ SP PB ___ WITH ___ US
: /-___ REPORTS FINDING ___ X AK AND ___ X EMPTY ___ AT THE SOUTHERN
___: IA ___ X ___ TRUCK AT
: ___ X UXO FOUND AT DETONATION SITE - GRENADE
: ___ X IED SITE CLEARED.
: //-___ REPORTS BEING ENGAGED WITH SAF FROM A .
___: RED ___ AT
: ___ AT
___ AT
: ___ REPORTS CIVILIANS ARE FLEEING THE AREA IN ALL DIRECTIONS
___: EOD REPORTS THEY ARE INVESTIGATING THE BODY OF ___ FOR
: ___ SP ___ WITH ___ X US AND ___ X IA
___: EOD REPORTS FINDING ___ X PIECE OF ___ AT
: ___ FLT
: ___ FLT
: ___ ESTABLISH AN OP AT ___ - A ___ PAX ELEMENT ___ CLEAR
: ___ DETAINED ___ X LN TRYING TO FLEE THE ELEMENT IN A ___
NAME:
: ___ ARRIVE AT FOB
___: EOD BEGINS TO INVESTIGATE THE BODY OF
___: EOD DECLARES BODY OF ___. NO BOOBY TRAPS WERE RIGGED TO BODY.
: ___ REPORTS IA ARE DETAINING ___ X LN AT
___: EOD ___ CLEAR THE
: ___ DEPARTS ___ WITH RECOVERY ASSETS
___: ELEMENTS ___ HOUSE AT
___: A/-___ REPORTS THAT IA ENGAGED ___ X AIF - AIF KIA AT
: //-___ REPORTS ___ X DETAINEES AND ___ X WIA DETAINEE BROUGHT TO PB .
: ___ DEPART FOB ___ TO ___ BLOCKING POSITIONS
: ___ BEGINS CLEARANCE OF ___. RTE .
___: BAYONET ELEMENT ACTIONS HOUSE AT
: ___ ARRIVES AT FOB .
: ___ REPORTS DETAINING ___ X LN MALES WITHIN THE HOUSE
: ___ RETURN TO PB ___ WITH ___ X DETAINEES.
___: THE WIA LN AT PB ___ ADMITS TO HAVING AN ___ IVO ___ VILLAGE. LN TESTS POSITIVE FOR X-SPRAY ()
: /-___ REPORTS CLEARING ___ X HOUSES IN - ___ X DETAINEE - HOUSE
: ___ REACHES PB
___: A/- ___ X WIA AIF IS AT FOB
.
: ___-LINE MEDEVAC SUBMITTED FOR ___ X AIF WIA. THE AIF WAS FOUND DURING SEARCH OPERATIONS IN
: /___ ELEMENTS ACTION THE HOUSE AND FIND ___ LN MALES DETAINED
: /___ FROM FOB ___ TO PB ___ TO ESCORT CEXC TO STRIKER
: ___ ELEMENTS REPORT FINDING ___ X LN WITH BLOOD ON HIS SHIRT. SHIRT ___ AND ALL LN DETAINED.
: ___ DEPART FOB ___ WITH 13X US, ___ X , ___ X US ___, AND ___ X IA BADGERS.
: ___ X US CONFIRMED KIA IN RECOVERED
: ___ REPORTS THAT BASED ON TWO ___ LN TQ, THE DUSTWUN SOLDIERS MAY CURRENTLY BE HELD IN ONE OF THREE LOCATIONS. , , . (___) HAD CLEARED THESE HOUSES EARLIER IN THE DAY. NSTR
-___ ACTIONED ON THE THREE HOUSES AGAIN WITH EMPHASIS ON SEARCHING FOR TUNNELS REPORTED BY ___. NSTR

Note: Additional reports were filed over the next several days. For space consideration, the subsequent reports have been omitted. To access them, click on the SIGACT link above.

According to a report from the US State Department, an Unknown American citizen was abducted on August 17, 2007. The SIGACT logs include a kidnapping report for the same day.

ATTACK(Other) ON PSC : ___ Civilian Killed in Action
2007-08-17 07:00:00

///////////////////UPDATED WITH THE NATIONALITIES OF THE PSC TEAM (SEE BELOW). OF NOTE IS THAT ___ OF THE PSC REPORTED AS KIA IS A US CITIZEN.

///////////////////////////////___ EVENT////////////////////

AT 171300DAUG07 A PSC CONVOY WAS CONSISTING OF ___ PAX WAS ATTACKED BY ___ JAM. ___ KIA.

LOCATION GRID IS ESTIMATED FROM GIVEN DETAILS.

At 191825DAUG07 AEGIS PSC reported that they had been informed of a PSC convoy (THE HIGHWAY COMPANY), consisting of ___ PAX (nationalities ___) and ___ vehicles, that had been attacked IVO ___ by ___ armed ___ of the ___ army. ___ of the PAX ( ) ___ to escape and reported that ___ members of the team ( -___) had been shot and killed. THE HIGHWAY COMPANY reported that they were negotiating with ___ government officials (Commander of the Police Force and Governor of ___) to release ___ PAX ( ) ___ being held in the ___ Building.
Of the ___ PAX, ___ has managed to escape ( ), ___ being held in the ___ Building ( ), ___ reported to be shot and killed ( -___) and ___ are reported to be missing.
___ are investigating this with the IPS.
No MNF casualties or damage were reported.

AEGIS PSC
THE HIGHWAY COMPANY PSC
() ___ Survivor
(/) ___ In the ___ Building
(/) ___ In the ___ Building
() () ___ Missing, believed to be shot and killed
-___ (Iraqi) ___ Missing, believed to be shot and killed
() ___ Missing
___ (Iraqi) ___ Missing
() ___ Missing
___ (Iraqi/) ___ Missing
___ (Iraqi) ___ Missing
___ (Iraqi) ___ Missing
___ (Iraqi) ___ Missing
___ (Iraqi) ___ Missing
___ (Iraqi) ___ Missing
___ (Iraqi) ___ Missing
- () ___ Missing
-___ (Iraqi) ___ Missing
-___ (Iraqi) ___ Missing
() ___ Missing

At 201200D Aug , ___ reported that info from IPS in ___ that one body in morgue may be US National (___ confirmed). ___ asked IPS to arrange for body to be taken to COB for formal identification. IPS also stated ___ x ___ in local hospital but not known if they were involved. The PJOC in ___ reported that the remainder of PSC staff had fled from the ___ point in remaining vehicles but this is not confirmed.

At 201540D Aug , ___ reported that ___ of ___ PSC ___ had been destroyed in the ___ but ___ had escaped by driving North. No reports of any PSC vehicles driving through the /___ Provincial border VCP. The IPS reported that ___ x PSC ___ had been left at the scene but have since been released; current whereabouts unknown.

At 201749D Aug , ___ reported the ___ had been in KLE with Gen , ___, who had confirmed that ___ x Iraqi personnel were being held in the ___ Building for their own safety and the ___ bodies of ___ PSC ___ were in the ___ morgue. He ___ only ___ x PSC ___ were still missing. CO ___ with Gen ___ safe return of the ___ Iraqi ___ and the ___ bodies, which ___ to the COB in a planned ISF op.

Jim Kitterman was abducted on May 21, 2009. The following day, his body was recovered and identified.

(CRIMINAL EVENT) MURDER RPT - : ___ CF KIA
2009-05-22 02:33:00

MND-___ EVENT:
WHO: -___
WHAT: MURDER
WHERE: (___ Water Fill Point)
WHEN: 220833MAY09

HOW: Iraqi Police (IP) found the victim and reported to a nearby IZ Police Patrol (USAF Law and ___ for the IZ). ___ civilian is found with his hands tied behind his back , mouth taped close, blindfolded with multiple stab wounds to the neck and chest area Subject was found in rear right passenger seat of silver , ___ with no plates, ___. Incident happened near the ___ Water Fill Site. Individual was confirmed dead upon arrival.

-------------------------
S2 ASSESSMENT:PENDING
-------------------------
SUMMARY:
___ X ARREST
___ X DETAINEES
___ X KIA
___ X WIA
___ X DMG
///OPEN////

References

Iraq War Logs
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

New WikiLeaks Release - kidnapping reports

2010-10-25T00:15:00.000-07:00

There are a number of entries pertaining to kidnapping in the Iraq War Logs recently released by WikiLeaks on October 22, 2010.

It's slow going but I am making my way through the logs in chronological order. Here are some of the incident reports that I've found so far that also match reported dates of the kidnappings of Americans in Iraq.

Dean Sadek abducted and missing since November 2, 2004

Jeffrey Ake abducted and missing since April 11, 2005

Jill Carroll abducted January 7, 2006, later released

Ronald J. Withrow abducted January 5, 2007, deceased, remains later identified.

Unknown Iraqi-American citizen abducted and missing since February 1, 2007

Unknown dual American-Iraqi citizen abducted and missing since March 3, 2007

As more incident reports are discovered, I will post the links in the table list of Americans Missing in Iraq.

Chart

2010-10-16T06:04:00.000-07:00

The table for Americans Missing in Iraq is revised as new information becomes available. Last update: October 14, 2010.

Come Hell or High Water

2010-09-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

Reading through some of my old blog posts here at the Missing Man, I came across this one from back in 2006, Counter Terrorism and Kirk von Ackermann. It's a stunning reminder of just how much has been assumed to date - that Kirk von Ackermann drove his suv knowing it had a bad tire over 180 miles of isolated road in Iraq. That von Ackermann was capable of making a dozen bad decisions on the day he disappeared, it's just not possible.

This man did not drive alone through an isolated mountain range in Iraq:

dual lives
By Megan von Ackermann, Missing in Iraq, September 05, 2006

One afternoon we were driving up the highway outside of Langley. I was reading a magazine - the Smithsonian I think - and I was chatting to Kirk about an article discussing the greatest achievement of modern medicine: the successful campaign against smallpox. Wasn't it amazing, I said, the way the WHO had managed it, wasn't it wonderful that the world was safe now from a disease that had been a deadly threat for thousands of years. Very quietly, his hands stiff on the wheel, he said 'it's not gone.'

Just that. But I knew - I knew that not only did he know that more than one country had kept live samples of the virus, he knew intimately the infection rate, the symptoms, the horrific scarring that those lucky enough to survive would suffer. He knew how it could be weaponized, had thought about delivery systems, had worked through countless scenarios in which various populations were targeted and infected.

And gradually I realized that he was living like that constantly. Everywhere we went, there was part of him looking around and evaluating targets, thinking about blast zones, considering mortality rates, political value, public reaction.

I continue to maintain that the person who drove the Nissan Patrol and abandoned it by the side of the road in Iraq, the person who used the satellite phone to call an Iraqi employee for help, is the same person who murdered Kirk von Ackermann.

You can read why in a re-print of an article I wrote:
Missing Contractor: Military Mechanics May Hold the Keys, April 21, 2008.

Now here's the thing. I've spent the last three years trying to get someone to listen. And honestly, nobody cares.

So I'm rethinking my approach because it would be irresponsible on my part to just walk away.

Coming Soon

2010-09-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

Buried opens October 8.

That's uncomfortably close to the date that Kirk von Ackermann disappeared in Iraq - October 9, 2003.

Fantasy Finale

2010-08-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

Lots in the news lately about WikiLeaks.

I'm a big fan of their work as I really do believe that information is a good thing. Democracy dies without transparency and freedom of the press.

While a number of people objected to the release of the Afghanistan war diaries, I found the information about the initial investigation into the disappearance of Pfc Bowe Bergdahl fascinating. It's clear from the early incident reports that Bergdahl's colleagues did whatever they could to find him. I'm not in the field of search and rescue, so maybe the process was flawed, or maybe there were other things they should have done, but it certainly looked crystal clear that the searchers gave it their best shot.

Kudos to them for their efforts.

As a result of WikiLeaks, every once in a while I have this fantasy that someone somewhere stumbles on this blog - reads a post like Evidence - physical and other - and covertly sends the relevant digital audio and satellite files to WikiLeaks. There's new evidence. They catch the bad guys. Justice is served.

But then reality kicks in, and I wonder if anyone would notice - or care. Because, let's face it, the missing in Iraq are out of sight and out of mind to all but their family, friends and a handful of press. And I do mean handful of press as in - 5 people world wide.

Which just makes the fantasy of new evidence so much better than the reality of ongoing indifference.

Americans Missing in Iraq - as of August 9, 2010

Joint Personnel Recovery Agency

2010-08-13T11:14:00.000-07:00

The Defense Business Board has advised Secretary Gates that the Department of Defense eliminate Joint Forces Command.

I'm wondering what happens to the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency which is a subordinate of the Joint Forces Command at Fort Belvoir. The idea that it might go over to Special Operations Command doesn't inspire confidence. (See: Lynch, Jessica)

References

Gates to Close JFCOM

By Andrew Tilghman, Army Times, August 11, 2010

The Defense Secretary Closes a Command

By Marc Ambinder, The Atlantic, August 9, 2010

Issa Salomi

2010-08-12T22:36:00.000-07:00

There's an interview with Issa Salomi about his kidnapping back in January. He talks about how easily his kidnappers moved through the check points manned by Iraqi personnel. Makes you wonder how vigilant were American personnel or did they just wave cars through?

San Diego man recounts Iraq kidnapping
By Julie Watson, San Diego Union Tribune, August 12, 2010

A U.S. Army contractor kidnapped in Iraq earlier this year described how his captors easily maneuvered past Iraqi checkpoints as he was held bleeding on the floor of their car.

In his first media interview since he was freed safely in March, Issa Salomi told The Associated Press he was handed over in exchange for four militants in Iraqi detention.

Shiite extremist group Asaib Ahl al-Haq, or "the League of the Righteous," claimed responsibility for his kidnapping. The group is believed to be close with Iran, and agreed last year to lay down its arms and join the Iraqi political process. Their current role is unclear.

Data on Kidnappings from the State Department

2010-08-08T22:09:00.000-07:00

Continuing to try and find as much information as possible for the status table of Americans Missing in Iraq.

Current bedside reading are the annual Department of State Country Reports on Terrorism. The National Counterterrorism Center typically provides statistical data for the annual reports. It appears that the earliest publicly available data set published on kidnappings of U.S. citizens is 2005.

Bookmarking this index for future reference:

U.S. Department of State
Country Reports on Terrorism
Index of Annual Reports - by year

The most recent Country Reports on Terrorism for 2009 from the Department of State was issued on Thursday, August 5.

Terrorism Deaths, Injuries, Kidnappings of Private U.S. Citizens, 2009
Country Reports on Terrorism 2009
US Department of State
August 5, 2010

TERRORISM KIDNAPPINGS OF PRIVATE U.S. CITIZENS IN 2009

Country	Date of Kidnapping	Number	Location / Date Released or Rescued
Columbia	February 6, 2009	1	Cali, Colombia – April 2009
Columbia	May 25, 2009	1	Bogota, Colombia - May 28, 2009
Kenya	July 17, 2009	1	Luuq, Somalia – October 3, 2009
Pakistan	February 2, 2009	1	Quetta, Pakistan – April 4, 2009

TERRORISM KIDNAPPINGS OF PRIVATE U.S. CITIZENS IN 2008

So far, I have been unable to locate the US State data for 2008. It's listed in the 2008 Index as being in Chapter 7 of the report, but it's just not there.

The annual NCTC report, The 2008 Report on Terrorism of April 30, 2009, contains a pie chart, Chart 14 - US Citizen Terrorism Kidnappings by Country on page 32. It cites 4 kidnappings in Afghanistan and 1 in Panama. No mention of Iraq.

However, one news report about the abduction of Issa T. Salomi in early 2010 cited a previous kidnapping of an American citizen in the summer of 2008. See Officials confirm kidnapping of U.S. contractor in Iraq By Ernesto Londoño and Leila Fadel, Washington Post, February 6, 2010.

TERRORISM KIDNAPPINGS OF PRIVATE U.S. CITIZENS IN 2007

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

Country	Date of Incident	Number	Location
Afghanistan	September 22	1	Kabul
	Before November 7	1	Kabul
Chad	October 1	1	Bardai
Iraq	January 5	1	Al-Haritha
	January 27	2	Sulaymaniyah
	February 1	1	Baghdad
	March 3	1	Baghdad
	April 25 (approx)	1	Kuwait-Iraq border
	May 25	1	Kuwait-Iraq border
	August 17	1	Al Amarah
Nigeria	January 7	1	Okan Oil Field, Delta State
	May 1	1	Okan Oil Field, Delta State
	May 9	4	Okan Oil Field, Delta State

TERRORISM KIDNAPPINGS OF PRIVATE U.S. CITIZENS IN 2006

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

Country	Date of Death	Number	Location
Afghanistan	March 30, 2006*	1	Near Gresham, Afghanistan
Iraq	March 30, 2006*	1	Baghdad, Iraq
	July 9, 2006*	1	Baghdad, Iraq
	August 5, 2006*	1	Baghdad, Iraq
	November 16, 2006	4	Aswan, Iraq
Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank	June 10, 2006*	1	Nobles, the West Bank
	August 27, 2006*	1	Gaza City, Gaza
Nigeria	January 30, 2006*	1	Offshore the Niger Delta, Nigeria
	August 23, 2006*	1	Port Harcourt, Nigeria

*Date rescued/released.

TERRORISM KIDNAPPINGS OF PRIVATE U.S. CITIZENS IN 2005

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

US Department of State

Country	Date of Incident	Number	Location
Iraq	January 12*	1	Unknown
Iraq	April 11	1	Taji
Iraq	May 17	1	Unknown
Iraq	May 22*	1	Unknown
Iraq	August 10*	1	Unknown
Iraq	September 7*	1	Mansour
Iraq	September 27	1	Unknown
Iraq	November 29	1	Baghdad
Iraq	December 2	1	Unknown
Iraq	December 5	1	Baghdad
Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank	October 12*	1	Khan Younis [Gaza]

*Date rescued/released

Tables used as is from the Department of State.

Statistical information within the report comes from the Worldwide Incidents Tracking System (WITS) of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC). WITS is searchable and open to the public.

NCTC issues an annual report. The report "contains details about incidents of violence against civilians and non-combatants (including military personnel and assets outside of war-like settings) from publicly available information."

WITS maintains a detailed database of incidents. Methodology and definitions are explained in its most recent report from April. In fact, the report is worth reading just for its detailed description of just what they consider to be an act of terrorism.

National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) Report on Terrorism
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
National Counterterrorism Center, Washington, DC
April 30, 2010

A fascinating side note is that the Department of Defense has a very different definition of terrorism, one that apparently is not universally accepted outside of the DOD.

Americans Missing in Iraq

2010-08-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

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.)

	Date	Name - incident report	Status
1	Oct 9, 2003	Kirk von Ackermann	missing	1
2	Apr 9, 2004	Thomas Hamill (see note above)	escaped
3	Apr 9, 2004	Nicholas Evan Berg	deceased
4	Apr 9, 2004	William Bradley	deceased
5	Apr 9, 2004	Pfc Keith Matthew Maupin	deceased
6	Apr 9, 2004	Timothy E Bell	missing	2
7	May 3, 2004	Aban Elias	missing	3
8	Aug 13, 2004	Micah Garen	released
9	Sept 16, 2004	Jack Henlsey	deceased
10	Sept 16, 2004	Olin Eugene Armstrong Jr	deceased
11	Oct 10, 2004	Paul Taggart	released
12	Nov 1, 2004	Roy Hallums	released
13	Nov 2, 2004	Dean Sadek	missing	4
14	Apr 11, 2005	Jeffrey Ake	missing	5
15	May 17, 2005	unknown - incident?	missing	6
16	Aug 2, 2005	Steven Charles Vincent	deceased
17	Sept 27, 2005	Abbas Kareem Naama (Tim)	missing	7
18	Nov 25, 2005	Ronald Alan Schulz	deceased
19	Nov 26, 2005	Thomas William Fox	deceased
20	Dec 2, 2005	unknown	missing	8
21	Jan 7, 2006	Jill Carroll	released
22	Jun 16, 2006	Pfc Kristian Menchaca	deceased
23	Jun 16, 2006	Pfc Thomas Tucker	deceased
24	Oct 23, 2006	Sgt Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie	missing	9
25	Nov 16, 2006	Jonathon Michael Cote	deceased
26	Nov 16, 2006	Paul Christopher Johnson-Reuben	deceased
27	Nov 16, 2006	Joshua Mark Munns	deceased
28	Nov 16, 2006	John Roy Young	deceased
29	Nov 27, 2006	Maj Troy Lee Gilbert (deceased)	missing	10
30	Jan 5, 2007	Ronald J Withrow	deceased
31	Jan 27, 2007	unknown - incident?	missing	11
32	Jan 27, 2007	unknown - incident?	missing	12
33	Feb 1, 2007	unknown Iraqi-American citizen	missing	13
34	Mar 3, 2007	unknown American-Iraqi citizen	missing	14
35	Apr 25, 2007	unknown	missing	15
36	May 12, 2007	Sgt Alex Ramon Jimenez	deceased
37	May 12, 2007	Pfc Byron W Fouty	deceased
38	May 25, 2007	unknown	missing	16
39	Aug 17, 2007	unknown	missing	17
40	summer 2008	unknown	missing	18
41	May 21, 2009	Jim Kitterman	deceased
42	Jan 23, 2010	Issa T Salomi	released

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

Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl and WikiLeaks

2010-07-29T21:36:00.000-07:00

Documents detail search for captive soldier
By John Miller, The Associated Press, July 29, 2010

[Pfc. Bowe] Bergdahl, a 24-year-old from Hailey in central Idaho, has been a captive since June 30, 2009.

Documents posted on the whistle-blower group WikiLeaks' website include transcripts of Afghan radio transmissions intercepted after Bergdahl went missing from his base in southern Afghanistan — as well as reports from U.S. soldiers about talks with village elders about a possible prisoner swap.

The documents show Afghan tribal leaders assured U.S. officials Bergdahl was unharmed. [...]

According to a transcript of what appears to be a radio transmission intercepted July 1, 2009 — the day after Bergdahl's capture — people aware he was being held hostage discussed what to do with him.

Reference material posted at WikiLeaks:

(CRIMINAL EVENT) KIDNAPPING RPT B CO 1-501 PIR : 0 INJ/DAM

WikiLeaks, Afghan War Diary, July 26, 2010

At 0430Z, TF 1 Geronimo reported a B Co missing soldier after he did not show up for the 0900L morning roll call at Mest OP, grid 42SVB 59236 47877 Yahya Khail District, Paktika. A full search was ordered. At 0535Z, TF 1 Geronimo initiated DUSTWUN procedures for the missing soldier. At 0645Z, all remaining units had reported in 100% accountability. Geronimo TOC ordered blocking positions set in and around Mest OP. At 0707Z, Predator (VooDoo) was on station in support. At 0940Z, a Pathfinder and tracking dog team arrived at Mest OP in support. At 0945Z, Predator (Pfingston) arrived on station in support. At 1012Z, LLVI receives traffic that an American Soldier with a camera is looking for someone who speaks English. At 1303Z, Graphic 33(2x F-18) arrived on station in support. At 1309Z, FF receive intelligence that a U.S. soldier has been captured. At 1351Z, VooDoo and Pfingston RIP with Predator (Sijan). At 1520Z, Sijan RIPs with Predator (Kisling) and DUDE-21 (2x F-15) arrives on station to support. Between 1725Z and 1800Z, B Co conducted 2 breaches of suspected enemy locations with NSTR. Additional forces were moving into the area to place blocking positions and conduct searches based on all of the aerial and ground based intelligence sources available throughout the day and through the night.

There's much more including updates.

My question, does a similar report exist for the disappearance of Kirk von Ackermann on October 9, 2003? Did the US Army in Iraq launch drones and intercept radio transmissions? I'd like to think they left no stone unturned, but I've been told the answer to that question is a big NO. That in fact, CID never requested assistance from any of the various agencies who were conducting surveillance in Iraq.

Missing in Afghanistan

2010-07-25T08:29:00.000-07:00

To date, this blog has focused on Americans known to be missing in Iraq.

On Friday, two American Navy servicemen were captured by a Taliban 'faction' in the Logar province south of the Afghanistan's capital, Kabul. Also missing for over one year in Afghanistan is a US Army Private, Bowe Bergdahl of Idaho.

CNN is now reporting the body of one of the US Navy service members - reported as killed during a firefight - has been recovered with their vehicle.

Taliban negotiating over captured Navy personnel in Afghanistan
By Laura King, Los Angeles Times, July 25, 2010

A Taliban faction that said it had killed one U.S. serviceman and captured another offered to exchange the slain man's body for an unspecified number of insurgent prisoners, an Afghan official said Sunday.

The two Americans, identified by Western officials as U.S. Navy personnel, were last seen Friday in a dangerous part of Logar province, south of the Afghan capital. A massive ground and air search by NATO and Afghan forces was underway, with the men's photos plastered at military checkpoints and a reward offered for information about them.

Local officials: 1 of 2 abducted U.S. service members killed
By Matiullah Mati, CNN, July 25, 2010

Den Mohammad Darwish, the spokesman for the governor of Logar province, said he learned from locals that the service member was killed. Hesaid the body was found in the Patanak Mountains of Charkh district. He also said the vehicle the men were driving was located Sunday.

A Taliban spokesman confirmed that the killed American died in a firefight and the other is being held by the group.

UPDATE: Remains of both men have now been recovered. The identities of the US military personnel are Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin McNeley of Wheatridge, Colorado and Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Jerod Newlove of Renton, Washington.

Sincere condolences to the friends and families of both men.

Local sailor's body recovered in Afghanistan
AP, with Hal Bernton, Susan Gilmore and Maureen O'Hagan, Seattle Times, July 29, 2010

Books - Iraq Hostages

2010-07-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

By no means definitive, this is a list of books available in English of accounts of hostages held in Iraq. At this time, I have not included Rick Bragg's book, I Am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story. It didn't quite seem to fit.

This list will be updated as new material appears.

Escape In Iraq: The Thomas Hamill Story
By Thomas Hamill, Paul T. Brown, and Jay Langston, Stoeger Publishing Company, October 31, 2004
ISBN-13: 978-0883173145

Hostage: The Jill Carroll Story (Audio Book)
By Jill Carroll, The Christian Science Monitor, September 1, 2006

Friendly Fire: The Remarkable Story of a Journalist Kidnapped in Iraq, Rescued by an Italian Secret Service Agent, and Shot by U.S. Forces
By Giuliana Sgrena and Amy Goodman, Haymarket Books, October 1, 2006
ISBN-13: 978-1931859394

The Business of War: Workers, Warriors And Hostages in Occupied Iraq
By James A. Tyner, Ashgate Publishing, November 2006
ISBN-13: 978-0754647911

Hostage in Iraq
By Norman F. Kember, Lorimer Publisher, October 31, 2007
ISBN-13: 978-1550289992

American Hostage: A Memoir of a Journalist Kidnapped in Iraq and the Remarkable Battle to Win His Release
By Micah Garen and Marie-Helene Carleton, Simon & Schuster, November 9, 2007
ISBN-13: 978-1416586319

118 Days: Christian Peacemaker Teams Held Hostage in Iraq
By Tricia Gates Brown, DreamSeeker Books of Cascadia Publishing House, February 15, 2009
ISBN-13: 978-1931038614

Big Boy Rules: America's Mercenaries Fighting in Iraq
By Steve Fainaru, Da Capo Press, October 13, 2009
ISBN-13: 978-0306818387

Buried Alive: The True Story of Kidnapping, Captivity, and a Dramatic Rescue
By Roy Hallums, Thomas Nelson Publishers, January 12, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-1595551702

Captivity
118 Days in Iraq and the Struggle for a World Without War
By James Loney, Knopf Canada, April 2011
ISBN: 978-0-307-39927-4 (0-307-39927-3)

PTSD

2010-07-08T09:23:00.000-07:00

This is so looooong overdue. Hopefully this also means the VA will actually receive whatever funding it needs for PTSD treatment. Otherwise, disability payments will just lead to warehousing sick veterans without the medical treatment they need too.

V.A. Is Easing Rules to Cover Stress Disorder
By James Dao, New York Times, July 7, 2010

The government is preparing to issue new rules that will make it substantially easier for veterans who have been found to have post-traumatic stress disorder to receive disability benefits, a change that could affect hundreds of thousands of veterans from the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam.

The ratio of contractors to military personnel in Iraq was 1:1 - so I gotta ask, who is watching out for the contractors?

On Thwarted FOIA Requests

2010-06-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

Come on universe, help me out here.

Recently, I found out that the mailing address for ePluribus Media changed. Unfortunately, no one alerted me and that change may have botched my outstanding FOIA requests. As a result, it looks like I now have to re-file everything. Literally, years of effort just washed down the drain.

One of the requests I was waiting on (already several years old) was an administrative appeal with the National Security Agency. The request sought two audio recordings of satellite phone calls made by Kirk von Ackermann shortly before he disappeared: the first, a call home to his family the day before he disappeared; the second, the satellite phone call to an Iraqi employee for assistance with a bad tire on the day.

The second significant FOIA request to re-file is for base access records showing exit and entrance on and off American bases in the Balad-Tikrit region in the fall of 2003. The base access records were an attempt to disprove my own theory that Kirk von Ackermann sought to fix his bad tire and visited another base after he left FOB Pacesetter. It was also an attempt to construct a timeline of the days just prior to the murder of Ryan Manelick and the disappearance of Kirk von Ackermann.

I'm hoping that the FOIA case numbers assigned to the original requests might expedite matters. But, it's government bureaucracy we're talking about here and I am not optimistic.

I believe one month from tomorrow is Kirk von Ackermann's birthday. While I never had the opportunity to meet him, I feel an enormous amount of responsiblity to continue to press forward with the FOIA requests no matter how futile those attempts may be.

So, in honor of Kirk von Ackermann, here's an early birthday wish: please find those still missing in Iraq and bring them home.

Recent DBA Ruling in Texas

2010-06-21T14:44:00.000-07:00

The following case centers on the undefined term of 'accident' within the Defense Base Act. I've read it through several times. There are some very fine points of law that I haven't quite grasped yet.

United States District Court For The Southern District Of Texas Deprives Battlefield Contractors Of The Protections Of The Defense Base Act
By Sheppard Mullin, Defense Contractor Blog, June 14, 2010

A recent decision by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas may have caused grave damage to protections long available to overseas government contractors and their employees under the Defense Base Act (“DBA”), 42 U.S.C. § 1651 et seq.

In Fisher v. Halliburton, 2010 WL 1268097 (S.D. Tex., Mar. 25, 2010), the court ruled the deaths and injuries sustained by a group of civilian convoy drivers in Iraq during insurgent attacks were not “accidents” and, therefore, that they were outside the scope of the protections afforded by the DBA. Absent the DBA’s protections, the Defendant employers are now in the legal “line of fire” – for the hefty compensable tort and negligence damages being alleged. The court, through its own motion, submitted its decision for immediate interlocutory appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. If upheld, the decision could mean an end to the substantial protection from tort liability that the seventy-year old act has afforded contractors deploying personnel to support combat operations.

More...

If I understand correctly - and I most definitely am not a lawyer - at the heart of the suit is whether or not Halliburton was willfully negligent in the deaths of the truck drivers. If yes, it would allow a liability suit to go forward outside of the Defense Base Act.

I guess what I would want to know is: what legal obligation did Halliburton have for the safety of those workers? Because workers would probably want to know before they accept a job if the answer is 'none.'

Addendum:

In related news, the Commission on Wartime Contracting (CWC), 'a body created in early 2008 to investigate waste, fraud and abuse in military contracting services in Afghanistan and Iraq', held hearings in Washington DC. Members of the major security companies were invited to attend.

Hearings Reveal Lapses in Private Security in War Zones
By Pratap Chatterjee, Inter Press Service, June 21, 2010

Excerpt:

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) also came in for extended criticism when David Blackshaw, the division chief for overseas security, told the commission that his agency was not legally responsible for the actions of armed guards that accompanied their grantees. "The role of the USAID's SEC's International Security Programmes Division is limited to advice and counsel," Blackshaw told the commissioners.

The commissioners were incensed. Several of them pulled out copies of a USAID Office of Inspector General report on private contracting that was issued last month that stated a third of USAID private security contracts in Afghanistan have no standard security requirements.

Wow. It pretty much sounds like absolutely no one accepts responsibility for security. I find that creepy.

Update II: Good Lord. Talk about a conflict of interest. General Sanchez served as V Corps commander of coalition forces in Iraq from June 2003 to June 2004.

Side note: V Corps issued an identification badge to Kirk von Ackermann that later appeared in the Rolling Stone article, Death of a Contractor: Greed and Murder in Iraq's Lawless Desert by Daniel Halpern, March 8, 2007.

KBR Gives Uncle Sam the One Finger Salute
By David Isenberg, Huffington Post, July 3, 2010

In February it was reported that the U.S. Army [was] trying to stop [retired US Army Gen. Sanchez] from continuing to be an expert for KBR in a lawsuit against it over civilian truck driver deaths and injuries.

Sanchez is being paid $650 an hour and has reviewed documents and written a report that support's KBR's contention it should not be held legally responsible for the deaths of six civilian truck drivers and the injuries of others in a 2004 ambush in Iraq.

The suing drivers and family members contend that KBR should have stopped the convoys when it was warned that attacks would increase on April 9, 2004, the first anniversary of the day allies in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq reached Baghdad.

KBR argues that the military approved sending the convoys out and several laws protect KBR from responsibility in a wartime situation. The Army contracts with KBR to provide transportation, food services and other logistical support.
....as the Army's own AR 15-6 Report clearly admits, but for the Army's failures in its own processes and procedures on April 9, 2004, the attack, injuries, and deaths associated with the Fisher case would never even have occurred.

Why does the US Treasury feel like it's turned into just one big ATM machine.

Related Reading

Commission on Wartime Contracting
Commissioners:
Michael J. Thibault
Christopher Shays
Clark Kent Ervin
Grant S. Green
Robert J. Henke
Katherine Schinasi
Charles Tiefer
Dov S. Zakheim

Iraq Personnel Recovery Division June 2010

2010-06-15T06:07:00.000-07:00

Americans Missing in Iraq as of June 2010

There are two versions of the same article with slight variations, the first at Army.mil the second at usf-iraq.com.

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

Operation Liberator II, the latest undertaking in the U.S. military's ongoing effort to find and recover the 16 American and Coalition service members and civilians missing here, is underway.

"We never have, and we never will stop looking," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. K.C. Chhipwadia, the senior intelligence officer with United States Forces -- Iraq's Personnel Recovery Division.

This current operation began April 15, and continues the work started last summer during Operation Liberator, a two-month-long effort that improved the collection of actionable intelligence relating to missing personnel, said Lt. Col. Kevin Dennehy, director of the USF-I PRD. That operation laid the groundwork for the development of this phase of the search. [...]

Although USF-I is spearheading the operation, a wide spectrum of agencies are involved, Dennehy said, including U.S. Central Command and the U.S. Embassy's Office of Hostage Affairs; as well as the FBI, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Geospatial Agency.

I am confused. The article lists an Air Force pilot as the second American military service member missing in Iraq. Air Force Maj. Troy Lee Gilbert is reported to have disappeared after his F-16 crashed in November 2006. But, according to an article at the Air Force website, remains found at the crash site were positively identified with DNA testing back in December 2006. In addition, Gilbert's remains were buried in a ceremony at the Arlington National Cemetery, Grave 8520, Section 60. (See Troy L Gilbert at the Arlington website)

[Ed. note: from the comments section, insurgents took Major Gilbert's body before it could be recovered by American personnel.]

Back to the article:

According to Chhipwadia, 11 of the 16 individuals still missing in Iraq are American citizens, four are South Africans and one is British. Two of the Americans are members of the military who have been missing since 2006.

The number 16 is close to the 17 reported missing by the Defense Intelligence Agency in another article earlier this year. But the Iraq Personnel Recovery Division reports it is looking for only 11 Missing Americans of which 2 are military, 9 are civilian. That seems to correspond with:

Kirk von Ackermann (2003)
Timothy E. Bell (2004)
Aban Elias (2004)
Dean Sadek (2004)
Jeffrey Ake (2005)
Maj Troy Lee Gilbert (2006)
Sgt. Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie (2006)
Unknown (2008)
+3 additional persons

For now, I've added Gilbert to an updated list of Missing Americans above, but still retaining the previous 'unknown' persons on the chart. I just find it unsettling that there aren't cold hard numbers on how many Americans are missing in Iraq.

Searching for one white Nissan Patrol in Iraq

2010-06-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

To recap: on October 9, 2003, Kirk von Ackermann's white Nissan Patrol suv was discovered abandoned on a remote road in the Jabal Hamrin mountains between Tikrit and Kirkuk just minutes after he was said to have called an employee for help with a flat tire. Where did the vehicle come from? Was he all alone on the road that day or were there other vehicles in close proximity? Did anyone from the Defense Intelligence Agency ever look through the satellite footage to track the journey of his vehicle from FOB Pacesetter to that remote road on a mountain pass?

U.S. military turns to TV for surveillance technology
By Julian E. Barnes, Los Angeles Times, June 7, 2010

The military once stored Predator video in much the same way it handled photos from a U-2 spy plane or a satellite: It chopped the video into short clips and filed it by date and location.

But new technologies developed by firms such as Harris Corp. and Lockheed Martin record the observations of analysts who monitor the video feeds, creating a database of terms and footage that can later be searched.

For instance, every time a white truck appears on video, an analyst will type "white truck." The observation automatically tags that portion of the video. Later, if someone wants to find all the white trucks that passed by a particular building, all they need to do is designate the area of interest and the time frame and search for "white truck."

The Air Force hopes that eventually, such emerging technology will automatically give people, places and vehicles more unique identifiers. Then, the database will be able to search for specific white trucks, such as one with a dented fender or any other unique mark.

Better late than never.

News on the South African Hostages

2010-05-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

A phone call has revealed that the four South African men being held hostage in Iraq since 2006 are alive.

Joy for Iraqi hostage family
By Hanti Otto, Pretoria News, May 07 2010

Andre's wife, Lourika, said: "I nearly jumped out of my skin from joy when I heard about the call. My husband is really alive."

Andre [Durant], Hardus Greeff, Callie Scheepers and Johann Enslin were working as security guards for Safenet Security Services in Iraq when they were stopped by men in police uniforms on December 10, 2006.

Some information on the South African men missing in Iraq since 2006 can be found here at this blog:
Missing in Baghdad written by Marie Enslin, wife of one of the missing men.

Miles Per Gallon

2010-05-09T13:41:00.000-07:00

Thinking a lot about fuel these days.

How much gas was in Kirk von Ackermann's Nissan Patrol when it was found?

Mileage for a Nissan Patrol (diesel fuel) averaged about 21 - 23 mpg back in 2003. A full tank held 125 liters of fuel (about 33 gallons). Under good conditions, it's reasonable to expect a full tank of gas should last about 759 miles. And logic says anyone setting out on a journey from Tikrit to Kirkuk would want to start with a full tank.

So, how much was left in the tank when the vehicle was found and what does that say about where the Nissan Patrol last fueled up?

References

Road test: Nissan Patrol ST 3.0
By Feann Torr, Web Wombat

Jeffrey Ake - missing since April 11, 2005

2010-04-11T22:35:00.000-07:00

Article at CNN on two Americans missing in Iraq - Jeffrey Ake and Sgt. Ahmed Altaie (alternative spellings: Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie, Ahmed K. Altaie, Ahmed Kousay al-Taie, Ahmad Qusay al-Ta’ae). Jeffrey Ake was abducted on April 11, 2005 and has now been missing for 5 years.

Five years after Iraq abduction, family tries making own closure
By Jason Hanna, CNN, April 11, 2010

[Jeffrey] Ake is one of 11 Americans still missing in Iraq, 21 months before the United States is scheduled to withdraw all its troops from the country. The 10 civilians and one soldier disappeared after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of the country, and each has been missing for at least two years, according to the U.S. State Department. [...]

U.S. officials are working for the safe return of all 11 missing Americans and continuing to call for their immediate release and any information about them, State Department spokesman John Fleming said. The government also is trying to help with the recovery of other nations' citizens who are missing in Iraq, including four from South Africa and one each from the United Kingdom, Russia and Japan, Fleming said.

In Ake's case, the director of the Office of Hostage Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad recently conducted a review of the kidnapping "to reinvigorate source development," Fleming said.

Some conflicting information - the CNN article states there are 11 Americans missing in Iraq but a February 8 article in the News Tribune cited 18 missing including a second unknown member of the US military. It should be noted that #18 was Issa Salomi - now safely returned to his family in California - leaving 17 believed still missing.

I'm attaching an updated chart.

Additional Reading

JeffAke.com - website for donations

US Army Sergeant Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie - facebook page

18 Americans Missing in Iraq - February 2010
February 8, 2010

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

Op-Ed on Hostage Reporting

2010-04-09T13:55:00.001-07:00

I almost titled this post, the Goose, the Gander and the missing Gosslings.

The Goose and the Gander - PDF
By Cori E. Dauber, Strategic Studies Institute, April 1, 2010

The willingness to release information on one class of hostages—American military personnel—while withholding the same information regarding another class of hostages—fellow members of the press corps—is, if nothing else, a somewhat obvious double standard. Either publicizing a kidnapping puts the victim at risk or it does not, and it is hard to imagine a reason why Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, or Marines should not be granted the same respect in such a situation as is given to a reporter. It is common for members of the press to argue that they are not representatives of any particular country, and that they must observe a level of studied neutrality. The wisdom of such a position aside, these service members are not being taken by another state, but by stateless, brutal, terrorist groups, which use the taking of hostages as a tool of terror and of intimidation, and the desire to temporarily withhold information to protect the life of an individual service member hardly seems to violate objectivity. After all, these same news media organizations regularly tout the fact that when they are convinced by the government that national security interests are legitimately involved, they willingly withhold stories (for example, not reporting that particular Taliban leaders were captured until there is a chance to exploit intelligence gained subsequent to their capture), sometimes, indeed, details of a story are not reported for years—or at all.

Absolutely no mention of contractors. Funny, that.

For what it's worth - my own opinion on releasing information to the press: each kidnapping should be assessed on a case by case basis and should include input of affected family members.

Aerial Surveillance Footage - pt 2

2010-04-06T13:01:00.000-07:00

Wikileaks recently released classified audio/video from Apache helicopters in Iraq. The footage shows the July 2007 attack by U.S. forces that killed a Reuters journalist and several bystanders. The controversial subject of the video is not relevant to this blog but the quality of that classified video is. The amount of detail the cameras captured is incredible.

I sound like a broken record here...

Did the U.S. military record similar images in the Fall of 2003? Specifically, is there aerial footage of Kirk von Ackermann's Nissan Patrol on the day he disappeared and of Ryan Manelick's Hyundai Galloper when he was killed in a drive by shooting? Did anyone pick up the Patrol as it left FOB Pacesetter? Anyone pick up the Galloper as it left Anaconda?

In the fall of 2003, Saddam Hussein was still at large. Who was watching the roads?

Aerial Surveillance Footage - pt 1

January 27, 2010

Wikileaks leaked video of Civilians killed in Baghdad - Full video

YouTube, April 5, 2010

Reintegration Program for Hostages

2010-04-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

Good to know - there is a voluntary reintegration program for former hostages. I'm curious as to how family members participate in the reintegration process.

Abducted Army linguist glad to be back in US
By Michelle Roberts, Associated Press, Army Times, April 1, 2010

A civilian Army employee kidnapped while working as a linguist in Iraq released a statement Wednesday saying he is delighted to be back in the United States and is focused being able to reintegrate back into his normal life.

Issa Salomi, a 60-year-old Iraqi-American kidnapped in January, returned to the U.S. late Tuesday night and is undergoing medical tests and debriefings with Army officials at Fort Sam Houston, where a voluntary reintegration program for former hostages is housed.

Issa Salomi may be voluntarily participating in a program much like those trying to address PTSD:

The Post-Deployment Health Re-Assessment (PDHRA) is a new program to address both physical and psychological needs of Soldiers after demobilization.

The following pamphlet provides a broad overview of a variety of programs and links to the various branches involved:

Active Army Family Action Plan - PDF - specifically see Issue #603
Issue Update Book
April 2009

Information about Fort Sam:

Fort Sam Houston Soldier and Family Assistance Center

The Fort Sam Houston Soldier and Family Assistance Center (SFAC) partners with the Warrior & Family Support Center (WFSC) to provide all SFAC services. The SFAC is a one-stop administrative resource center hosting 14 different services supporting Warriors in Transition, their Family members and Surviving Spouses.

Lawsuit Filed Against US State Department

2010-03-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

The families of three private security contractors - Joshua Munns, Jonathon Cote and John Young of Crescent Security Group, kidnapped in Iraq on November 16, 2006 and later beheaded - are suing the US State Department.

State Department sued in death of Anderson man, other contractors in Iraq
By Ryan Sabalow, The Record Searchlight, March 25, 2010
PDF of the suit accompanying the article Munns et al v. Clinton et al

Mark Munns of Anderson said in an interview Wednesday that the suit was filed in hopes of learning what U.S. officials know about the abduction and what steps they took to find his son, Joshua Munns, and the other men abducted with him. [...]

The suit demands the State Department pay the families their children's life insurance benefits because the contractors were working by proxy for the government at the time.

Crescent Security, the firm for which Munns and the other contractors worked, hasn't paid any death benefits owed to the contractors' surviving family members, the suit says.

The State Department also has been uncooperative in trying to help the family recover the money, the suit alleges.

Be sure to read the PDF of the actual court filing that accompanies the original article.

Looking over the suit, at the very least, it certainly sounds like Crescent Security held 'dead peasant' life insurance policies for its employees.

But what about injury and/or detention? If the Crescent Security insurance policy included Kidnap & Ransom (K&R), what kind of access did the insurance carrier provide to a hostage negotiator? If the company didn't carry injury and/or detention, then the families should qualify for benefits under the Defense Base Act regardless of whether or not Crescent Security carried DBA coverage.

Assuming precedent was set, William Palmer, Munns' attorney, may not be aware of a recent ruling from the Department of Labor in the case of Kirk von Ackermann who disappeared in Iraq on October 9, 2003.

An investigation by the Department of Defense determined von Ackermann was killed during a botched kidnapping by hostile forces. But because Kirk von Ackermann's employer failed to secure DBA insurance, there were substantial delays in awarding the survivor benefits due under the War Hazards Compensation Act. In late 2009, the Department of Labor finally issued a ruling finding in the von Ackermann family's favor and benefits awarded.

It all comes down to the question of just what kind and how broad was the war-risk hazard coverage Crescent Security carried on its employees.

One last thought on the suit...was Jennifer Foo the Casualty Assistance Officer assigned to the case as per the Missing Persons Act? Was Counsel appointed to represent the abducted men?

I've written about this before but just to recap: as American civilian contractors working in support of US operations in Iraq, the abducted employees should have been covered under legislation commonly known as the Missing Persons Act. Family should have received notification that counsel was appointed to represent the abducted men's interests within 45 days of detention. By Day 100, an unclassified summary report should have been provided to the men's family. At the one year anniversary, Day 365, they should have received notification of the meeting of a Board of Inquiry. If that board reached no definitive conclusion as to their whereabouts, additional inquiries should have been held which the family would have had the right to attend. Family could have passed concerns to the counsel as well as provide information and/or objections to any recommendations by the Board of Inquiry.

Additional Reading

The Business of Kidnapping - war-risk hazard premiums and hostage negotiators
February 16, 2010

Book - Big Boy Rules by Steve Fainaru
November 23, 2008

Munns et al v. Clinton et al in filings and dockets at Justia.com
Plaintiffs: Mark Munns, Crista Munns, Dennis Debrabander, Sharon Debrabander and Lori Silveri
Defendants: Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton and Jennifer Foo
Case Number: 2:2010cv00681
Filed: March 22, 2010
Court: California Eastern District Court
Office: Sacramento Office
Presiding Judge: Lawrence K. Karlton
Presiding Judge: Senior Judge Lawrence K. Karlton
Referring Judge: Kimberly J. Mueller
Referring Judge: Magistrate Judge Kimberly J. Mueller
Nature of Suit: Contract - Other Contract
Cause: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

Previous related posts

A Sliver of Justice - finding by the Department of Labor in favor of the von Ackermann family
Janaury 10, 2010

Defense Base Act vs War Hazards Compensation Act- non-hostile vs hostile Type of Casualty
December 23, 2008

Iraq Contractors and The Missing Persons Act - legal obligations of the US Government
July 24, 2008

The Defense Base Act/War Hazards Compensation Act Handbook is on sale through Loyola College of Law for $60. Call (504) 861-5441 or Toll Free at (866) 250-8617 to order. For more information, email: clelaw@loyno.edu

Issa Salomi - Released

2010-03-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

Great news this morning via the Defense Base Act Compensation blog (thank you, Marcie!), Issa Salomi has returned home - very much alive - to his family:

Militant Iraqi group releases American hostage
By Leila Fadel, Washington Post, March 28, 2010

The Pentagon said the circumstances surrounding the disappearance in January of Issa T. Salomi, 60, of El Cajon, Calif., were under investigation. But the militant group Asaib Ahl al-Haq, or the League of the Righteous, suggested on a Web site the group uses that Salomi was released in exchange for four detainees in U.S. custody.

The U.S. military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Salomi's kidnapping followed the breakdown of talks between the Iraqi government and the group that U.S. and Iraqi officials had hoped would lead to reconciliation. The U.S. military has released hundreds of the group's members in a failed attempt to neutralize it.

No news on Alan McMenemy or Ahmed Qusai al-Taie. At one point, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, or the League of the Righteous suggested they were working on 'returning' him.

Alan McMenemy of Scotland

2010-03-21T22:24:00.000-07:00

IT consultant, Peter Moore, and his four security guards were abducted by insurgents dressed as Iraqi policemen from the Ministry of Finance in Baghdad in May of 2007. Remains of three body guards were returned to the UK. The last is still missing, Alan McMenemy of Glasgow, Scotland.

Baghdad hostage Peter Moore: kidnappers shot Britons as they tried to escape
By Colin Freeman, UK Telegraph, March 14, 2010

In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Mr Moore cast doubt on the widely-held theory that the Shia militant group which abducted the men had deliberately murdered them in order to step up pressure for a prisoner exchange.

Instead, he said he had been told that two of the guards - Jason Creswell and Jason Swindlehurst - were gunned down as they tried to flee a militant safe house where they were being held. A third, Alec MacLachlan, was killed after he tried to grab a gun that his captors left lying on a table, while the fourth, Alan McMenemy, died when his captors thought that security forces were preparing to raid their hide-out. They are thought to have shot Mr McMenemy in panic as they were about to flee, only to discover afterwards that the raid was a false alarm. Mr McMenemy is the only one of the four guards whose body has not been recovered, although the Foreign Office believes he too is dead.

For those unaware of the writer's significance to this blog, Colin Freeman was the journalist who first broke the story of the disappearance of contractor Kirk von Ackermann.

Evidence - physical and other

2010-03-06T17:24:00.000-08:00

Thinking out loud about what, if any, physical evidence might still be available to investigators looking into the disappearance of Kirk von Ackermann and the murder of Ryan Manelick.

For what it's worth....

Aerial footage - recorded by any of the more than 500 unmanned aerial vehicles operating in Iraq in 2003

Base Access Records - showing entrance and exit to/from bases under US control in Iraq

Audio recordings - of satellite and cell phone calls, incoming and outgoing (from intercepts of the National Security Agency)

Inventory - review of Kirk von Ackermann's personal belongings - including his notebook as well as determining what was missing

Background check - of passing patrol and/or check point personnel who first arrived on the scene

Ultra Services communications - from the ultra-services.com web server including emails and records, also who had superuser access to server

Mechanics - interviews with area mechanics, especially at FOB Pacesetter and Camp Anaconda, to see if anyone remembers von Ackermann was seeking to get his tire fixed

Additional Reading

Army Regulation 195–5 (PDF)
Criminal Investigation
Evidence Procedures
Department of the Army
Washington, DC
June 25, 2007

Foreign Affairs Manual - hostage and missing

2010-03-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

The US Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) includes sections on hostages and missing persons that I thought were worth including here.

U.S. Department of State

Foreign Affairs Manual

Volume 7 - Consular Affairs:
7 FAM 1820 Hostage Taking and Kidnappings (PDF)
7 FAM 150 Missing Persons (PDF)

I'm of the opinion that the US government should have a dedicated office for hostage affairs/missing persons of US citizens abroad. It would have a core of permanent staff in addition to representatives from US government agencies such as the FBI, Department of State, Department of Defense (POW-MIA, Casualty Affairs, Criminal Investigation Division, etc). One of the things the office should be responsible for is coordinating regulations and reporting requirements by publishing an annual manual.

Just a thought.

1457 Civilian Contractors Have Died in Iraq

2010-03-01T21:40:00.000-08:00

AP reporting 1,457 civilian employees have died in Iraq as of December 31, 2010. The article doesn't include information on kidnappings and/or missing Americans.

It's worth pointing out something peculiar about that particular figure of 1,457: it's apparently been revised down from 1,459 reported in February. (Not sure what that means in terms of where the discrepancy originated.)

Iraq: Key figures since the war began
By The Associated Press, March 1, 2010

Deaths of civilian employees of US government contractors as of December 31, 2009: 1,457.

Also see:

Iraq: Key figures since the war began (link expired)
By The Associated Press, Washington Post, February 1, 2010

Deaths of civilian employees of U.S. government contractors as of December 31, 2009: 1,459

AFP - update on Issa Salomi

2010-02-28T15:59:00.000-08:00

News is a bit slim but optimistic given the report of ongoing talks.

Iraq hopes kidnapped US translator to be freed 'soon'
AFP, February 28, 2010

Iraq is optimistic that a US translator kidnapped more than a month ago by a Shiite militant group will soon be freed, a national security adviser told AFP on Sunday.

Safa Hussein said a second American the militant group, the League of the Righteous, purports to be holding could also be released, but he admitted reports the hostage was dead could be true. [...]

Asked to give a time frame for Salomi's release, Hussein said he could not provide any details.

Hussein added the second American the League of the Righteous claims to hold, Sergeant Ahmed Qusai al-Taie, "will also be delivered" but again he did not say when.

Asked if Taie was dead, as has been reported in Iraqi media, Hussein replied: "We don't know for sure... There is no solid evidence. We don't have a proof of life, but we don't have anything to indicate that he is dead also."

Route Clemson

2010-02-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

Learn something new every day.

The road between Tikrit and Kirkuk through the Jabal Hamrin mountain range was known to US military personnel as Alternative or Main Supply Route Clemson (ASR/MSR). Highway 1 headed south to Baghdad was apparently referred to as Route Tampa.

According to my handy dandy Dictionary of Military Terms taken from Joint Publications 1-01 & 1-02 of the US Department of Defense:

main supply route - The route or routes designated within an operational area upon which the bulk of traffic flows in support of military operations. (page 323 JP 1-02)

From what I can find online, at one point, there were at least three check points along MSR Clemson - one of which was little more than a mile or so from where Kirk von Ackermann's vehicle was found abandoned.

Just how busy was the supply route to Kirkuk in the fall of 2003?

Always questions.

Some References

Task Force Danger Press Release - reference on page 12
Headquarters, 1st Infantry Division, Tikrit, Iraq (FOB Danger)
November 21, 2004

Road Warriors: 50th MSB has logged plenty of miles in north-central Iraq
By Charlie Coon, Stars and Stripes, March 7, 2005

Troops receive explosive welcome south of Kirkuk
By Ben Murray, Stars and Stripes, October 6, 2006

Click the satellite photo in the right hand side bar if you wanna take a look at the area.

DoD Instruction 1300.18 - update

2010-02-22T22:00:00.000-08:00

Wonk stuff.

New language and some new policies added as per 'Change 1' on August 14, 2009 to existing DoD Instruction 1300.18 aka "Personnel Casualty Matters, Policies, and Procedures" (See red text within the instruction for changes/additions/deletions) Enclosure 10 is the one I'm most interested in - 'Procedures for Notifying the Military Service Casualty Offices of Death Investigations.' It appears to be an entirely new addition to 1300.18.

Enclosure 10 is on the last page, page 62. Unfortunately, the language is a bit 'fuzzy' regarding who exactly is covered as 'authorized' 'personnel accompanying' US Armed Forces. For now, let's assume it covers private contractors.

(A note on fuzziness, I do find it fascinating that a bureaucracy as large as the Department of Defense isn't more narrow and specific in their use of language. It's like they don't do a simple cross check of their own terminology. Odd that.

Anyway...

DoD Instruction 1300.18 (PDF)
"Personnel Casualty Matters, Policies, and Procedures"
From the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, January 8, 2008
- replacing DoD Instruction 1300.18, “Military Personnel Casualty Matters, Policies, and Procedures,” December 18, 2000 (hereby canceled)

E10. ENCLOSURE 10

PROCEDURES FOR NOTIFYING THE MILITARY SERVICE CASUALTY OFFICES OF DEATH INVESTIGATIONS

When an investigation into the cause or circumstances surrounding the death of a military member or DoD civilian employee who becomes a fatality while accompanying military personnel in the field or as a result of military-related actions is initiated, the appropriate Military Service Casualty Headquarters Office shall be notified immediately. At a minimum, the Casualty Office shall be provided written confirmation containing:
a. The name of the DoD organization conducting the investigation.
b. The type of investigation being conducted.
c. The existence of any reports by the investigating organization that have been or will be issued as a result of the investigation.
d. A point of contact within the investigating organization that can provide information on the status of the completion of any investigative reports.
e. The procedures for family members to obtain a copy of the completed report(s), to the extent such reports may be furnished consistent with sections 552 and 552a of Reference (h), and to obtain assistance in obtaining a copy of the completed report(s).
f. The procedures for family members to obtain answers to their questions on the completed investigation from a fully qualified representative.

At one point I contacted the Department of Defense to clarify some of the conflicting language within the Instruction and how it relates to the Missing Persons Act (see related posts below). Spoke at some length with a very nice man from Public Affairs who unfortunately, really didn't understand the core policy discrepancies within the Instruction. That wasn't really surprising given the wonkish nature of the subject but what was a shock was to learn there's only one person -- O.N.E. -- in all of Mortuary Affairs who can answer policy questions. Two wars, not to mention smaller conflicts - just one man. Obviously, he's a bit busy. Unfortunately, that also meant too busy to answer any of my questions.

Previous related posts

Defense Base Act vs War Hazards Compensation Act - non-hostile vs hostile Type of Casualty

Casualty Status of Missing - looks at Status and Category of a Casualty in DoD Instruction 1300.18

Iraq Contractors and The Missing Persons Act - outlines legal obligations of the US government

Kidnapping

2010-02-16T17:53:00.000-08:00

According to a recent article in The Australian, kidnapping as a new business venture is on the rise with 30-40,000 kidnappings estimated worldwide. There was a similar article in the Financial Times late last month. Depressing.

The business of kidnapping
By Joe Kelly, The Australian, February 17, 2010

John Chase is an expert in kidnap and ransom cases. The 48-year-old comes from an intelligence background, has more than 17 years' experience and is the managing director of crisis response at AKE group, which specialises in preparing people to enter some of the most hostile places on the planet. [...]

"There has to be a point where government's go to the families and say to those people very honestly, 'Look, we as governments cannot help you, but if you hire one of these internationally recognised companies you may be able to secure the release of your loved ones.' The hostages just went through such trauma in those first 339 days. It's not right."

Tales of the hostage negotiators

By James Boxell, Financial Times, January 21, 2010

As well as ransoms, insurance policies also cover psychological counselling for victims and families, media consultancy on reputation risk and the salary of replacement workers.

PS This is getting down into the weeds...but both of the above articles are in relation to hostage negotiators hired by insurance underwriters when a policyholder has been kidnapped. In other words, a company carries Kidnap & Ransom (K&R) on its employees working in risky environments - such as Iraq. Employees are not informed they are covered by kidnap risk insurance - a practice eerily similar to 'dead peasant' life insurance policies that pay employers benefits if an employee dies.

Under the Defense Base Act (DBA), when an American contractor pays an additional premium for war hazard risk - and I would imagine this includes kidnap risk - coverage under the DBA is exempt. Which raises the question of what kind of benefits kidnap risk policies pay and to whom. Are there survivor benefits for a hostage's family while they remain missing? Or are benefits paid out solely to the corporation?

Like I said above, depressing.

Editor's note: the Missing Man turned 5-years old with this post.

Uncertainty surrounding al-Taayie

2010-02-14T07:25:00.000-08:00

Lots of uncertainty surrounding the status of missing linguist Sgt. Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie (alternative spellings: Ahmed K. Altaie, Ahmed Kousay al-Taie, Ahmad Qusay al-Ta’ae). What an emotional roller coaster for his family.

Rough timeline

October 23, 2006 Spc. Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie (also Ahmed K. Altaie) of Ann-Arbor, Michigan kidnapped with his brother-in-law. He was seized when he went to visit his Iraqi wife who was at the time with family in Karrada. The brother-in-law was quickly freed.

November 2, 2006 A family member reveals a ransom demand was made for $250,000.

February 14, 2007 A proof of life video released by the captors. Altaie has not been heard from since. Local media in Iraq later report that he was killed but there was no official confirmation.

At one point, al-Taayie's mother reported as traveling to Baghdad in an attempt to locate her son.

February 6, 2010 A senior leader of Shi'ite militia Asaib al-Haq (Leagues of the Righteousness) reports their group received the body of Sgt. Ahmed Qusay al-Taie from a second group and are negotiating its release. Leagues of the Righteousness is believed to be holding hostage Issa T. Salomi.

February 13, 2010 An anonymous US official is quoted in another article that there is no proof the Leagues of the Righteous hold al-Taie's body.

February 14, 2010 Three year anniversary of the release of the proof of life video.

References

No proof Iraqi militants hold second American: US official
AFP, February 13, 2010

Iraqi Shiite group says holding two Americans
AFP, February 7, 2010

Iraq group says it has kidnapped U.S. contractor
By Suadad al-Salhy, Reuters, February 6, 2010

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

Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie
Wikipedia, includes additional sources

Former Xe guards asked to leave Iraq

2010-02-11T19:41:00.001-08:00

This makes me uncomfortable, assuming the following dots do in fact connect. On the one hand, if it brings Salomi home safely, that's great news for he and his family. However, the precendent sets up a political dynamic that could quickly spiral out of hand for foreign workers in Iraq.

What am I referring to?

Less than a week after the discovery of online video footage of American-Iraqi hostage, Issa Salomi, 250 former Blackwater (now Xe) security guards have been asked to leave Iraq. One of the kidnappers' demands, as presented by Salomi in the online video, was "the expulsion of former Blackwater security guards."

Iraq expels 250 ex-Blackwater staff
Al Jazeera, February 12, 2010
Making the announcement on Thursday, Jawad Bolani, the interior minister, said: "We have sent an order to 250 former Blackwater employees, who today are working with other security companies in Iraq, to leave the country in seven days and we have confiscated their residence permits.
"All of those concerned were notified four days ago and so they have three days to leave. This decision was made in connection with the crime that took place at Nisur Square."
Bolani was referring to an incident at the busy Baghdad square in September 2007, when five guards employed by Blackwater were accused of killing 14 unarmed Iraqis in a gun and grenade attack, and wounding 18 others.

The same group believed behind the kidnapping of Issa Salomi, The League of the Righteous, recently released another hostage from, Peter Moore of the UK. Three of his bodyguards are dead, one remains missing. Moore's release came just after a jailed political leader affiliated with the League of the Righteous was transferred to Iraqi control.

Iraq hostage Peter Moore arrives back in UK
BBC, January 1, 2010
The release was thought to be connected Qais al-Khazali, the leader of Asaib al-Haq, or the League of Righteousness, was transferred from US to Iraqi custody shortly before the release of Mr Moore.

Additional Reading

Iraq orders former Blackwater security guards out

By Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Washington Post, February 11, 2010

Kidnapping of American in Iraq sparked by faltering reconciliation talks
By Jane Arraf, Christian Science Monitor, February 11, 2010

Issa Salomi, a linguist working on an Army project to map tribal structures, was seized on January 23 while visiting relatives in the Karrada neighborhood of Baghdad, according to the US military. A Shiite extremist group, The League of the Righteous, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, (AAH) last week released a video of Mr. Salomi dressed in a US Army uniform and calling for the release of insurgents who fought American forces - and the expulsion of former Blackwater security guards.

18 Americans Missing in Iraq - February 2010

2010-02-08T22:37:00.000-08:00

According to a new article out tonight, including the latest kidnapping victim, Issa T. Salomi, there are 18 Americans currently missing in Iraq.

That number increases to 21 if 3 hikers, currently detained, who crossed over the border into Iran are included. Of the 18, 2 are American service members (1 of whom would be Sgt. al-Taayie). An other article in the Washington Post states that Salomi's kidnapping is the first since the summer of 2008.

I am only aware of the names of 7 missing Americans:

Kirk von Ackermann (2003)
Timothy E. Bell (2004)
Aban Elias (2004)
Dean Sadek (2004)
Jeffrey Ake (2005)
Sgt. Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie (2006)

Issa T. Salomi (2010)

Attached is a chart showing the incident date, name and status of those missing. Technically, the status of 'released' should more properly be referred to as 'Returned to Military Control' (RMC).

As mentioned in a previous post, there is good reason to believe there are more Americans missing in Iraq than those who have been reported. Employers and family members may choose to keep quiet for a number of reasons (ransom, etc). Just to be clear, 41 is the minimum number of those reported to have been kidnapped in Iraq to date.

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.

Missing Navy pilot Capt. Michael Scott Speicher, killed during Gulf War I, is also not included. (Speicher's remains were recently recovered).

The Washington Post article goes on to describe yet another hostage group, this time referred to as a US-Iraq Personnel Recovery Division. (see previous posts on the Hostage Working Group aka Office of Hostage Affairs) Pardon my cynicism, but perhaps the US government should consider establishing a permanent hostage recovery office not subject to regular name changes.

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

“The search never stops,” Lt. Col. Patrick Wright, the outgoing director of the U.S. Forces-Iraq personnel recovery division, said during an interview last month from Baghdad’s Al Faw Palace, the headquarters of the American military in Iraq. “If someone’s missing, someone’s looking for them.”

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

The abduction of contractor Issa T. Salomi, 60, of El Cajon, Calif., marks the first reported kidnapping of an American in Iraq since the summer of 2008.

Related posts

American Missing in Iraq - November 2009
November 1, 2009

Click the tag 'missing' for more information.

Salomi and al-Taayie

2010-02-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

Update on Issa Salomi from Reuters also includes new information on an American hostage missing since 2006.

Iraq group says it has kidnapped U.S. contractor
By Suadad al-Salhy, Reuters, February 6, 2010

A senior leader of Shi'ite militia Asaib al-Haq, or Leagues of Righteousness, said the abducted contractor, whom he did not name, was seized because the government was not keeping a promise to free Asaib al-Haq supporters from prison.

Such a deal was widely believed to have been behind the release by the same group of British computer programer Peter Moore in December after 2-1/2 years in captivity, despite Iraqi and British government denials of a link.

"The government is carrying out many violations against us," the militant leader told Reuters, asking not to be identified.

The Reuters article also includes new information on US Army linguist, Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie (also Ahmed K. Altaie) of Ann-Arbor, Michigan kidnapped on October 23, 2006. Al-Taayie was last seen alive when a proof of life video was released by his captors on February 14, 2007.

The Asaib al-Haq leader said his group was also negotiating with the Iraqi government over the handover of the body of a U.S. contractor kidnapped and killed in 2006 by another group.

He said his group had received the body of the contractor, identified as Ahmed Qusay al-Taie, from the other militant organization and would release it once it received an assurance from his wife that she would not sue Asaib al-Haq.

Update - more on the status of al-Taayie from another news story

Iraqi Shiite group says holding two Americans

AFP, February 7, 2010

The second American could be US army Sergeant Ahmed Qusai al-Taie, also of Iraqi origin, who was reported missing on October 23, 2006.

An undated and soundless video of him appeared on the US television network CNN in February the following year having first been posted on the Internet by the League of the Righteous.

Taie left the heavily-guarded international "Green Zone" in Baghdad without his superiors' permission to visit close relatives at a family home in Karrada.

Local media later reported that [al-Taayie] was killed but there has been no official confirmation.

The following information is from a previous post, National POW/MIA Recognition Day, September 19, 2008

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

Photo(s) 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.

Contractor Kidnapped in Iraq

2010-02-05T22:33:00.000-08:00

News report that Issa Salomi, 59, of El Cajon, California, has been kidnapped in Iraq. An Iraqi-American with dual citizenship, Salomi disappeared in Baghdad on January 23, 2010.

As of this evening, there are very few news stories on the kidnapping. A San Diego news station, KFMB, has video of Salomi from an Iraqi website. In the video, Salomi states he is being treated well, and makes several demands for his kidnappers.

El Cajon Man Kidnapped in Iraq

KFMB, February 5, 2010

Sincere wishes for his safe return to family and friends.

Buried at Sundance

2010-02-03T23:37:00.000-08:00

A new film, Buried, featuring an American contractor held hostage in Iraq screened at the Sundance Film Festival. For the entire film, the contractor, Paul Conroy, (played by actor Ryan Reynolds) is trapped in a coffin. Lionsgate picked up the film for distribution. Critics are hailing the film as brilliant.

Slashfilm has clips.

Buried Teaser Trailer and Clip: Will Ryan Reynolds Shine Underground?
By Russ Fischer, /Film, January 20, 2010

Sundance synopsis at IMDB:

U.S. contractor working in Iraq awakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it's a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap

Credits

Director: Rodrigo Cortés
Writer: Chris Sparling
Director of Photography: Eduard Grau
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Ivana Mino, and Anne Lockhart, Stephen Tobolowsky

Interview with actor, Ryan Reynolds, and a short article on the film at Vanity Fair.

Buried: Ryan Reynolds's Break-Out (or Not!) Role
by Eric Kohn, Vanity Fair, February 1, 2010

At least six American men are known to still be missing in Iraq:

Kirk von Ackermann (2003)
Timothy E. Bell (2004)
Aban Elias (2004)
Dean Sadek (2004)
Jeffrey Ake (2005)
Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie (2006)

1459 Civilian Contractors Have Died in Iraq

2010-02-01T21:58:00.000-08:00

Iraq: Key figures since the war began
By The Associated Press, Washington Post, February 1, 2010

Deaths of civilian employees of U.S. government contractors as of December 31, 2009: 1,459

The article doesn't include information on kidnappings and/or missing Americans.

Aerial Surveillance Footage

2010-01-27T18:40:00.000-08:00

Did any of the more than 500 unmanned aerial vehicles operating in Iraq back in 2003 capture video footage of either of the SUV's driven by Kirk von Ackermann or Ryan Manelick?

Kirk von Ackermann disappeared on one of only three major routes between Tikrit and Kirkuk. Tikrit was, of course, the home of Saddam Hussein's tribe, who at the time was still at large in Iraq and suspected of being in the Tikrit area.

In both Afghanistan and Iraq, the Predator system is being used to assist the ground commander in a number of missions. One of the most visible is its use in the hunting and targeting of high value targets (HVT). The Predator gives the commander a persistent long loiter capability in order to keep suspected HVT hide-sites under constant surveillance. Such coverage assists the ground commander in planning their attack. Avenues of approach and terrain can be evaluated and studied right up until the time of the attack without tipping off the enemy that they are under surveillance.

Ryan Manelick was killed in a drive-by shooting shortly after leaving Camp Anaconda on Route 1, the transit route to Baghdad.

Our [USAF security forces] troops are currently using the Desert Hawk’s electro-optical and infrared sensors to provide them “eyes” outside the fence line around bases in the [Area of Responsibility]. This extended look is helping us leverage air base ground defense assets in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

Excerpts above from:

Testimony of Lieutenant General Walter E. Bucanan III
Commander, United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Air Forces
Commander, Ninth Air Force
Before the House Armed Services Committee
United States House of Representatives
Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces

Regarding Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)

March 17, 2004

More reading:

U.S. Drones Crowding the Skies to Fight Insurgents in Iraq
By Eric Schmitt, New York Times, April 5, 2005

Questions for John Dawkins

2010-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

Seems like I am forever putting together lists of questions. Well, here's what I'd like to ask John Dawkins, one of the principals at Ultra Services back in 2003.

How well did Safa Shukir speak and understand English? (Kirk von Ackermann was said to have called Shukir for help with a bad tire. When Shukir arrived, he was reported to have called Dawkins to tell him about finding von Ackermann's abandoned vehicle.)
Likelihood of Dawkins traveling alone on the road between Kirkuk and Tikrit?
What is Dawkins' version of the story of receiving warning shots when driving up to a military gate too quickly with Charles Phillips in the car?
Where did the incident happen and when?
Did Ryan Manelick help Kirk von Ackermann buy his vehicle?
Where did von Ackermann pick the vehicle up from?
What was the job offer that Dawkins made to von Ackermann?
What was satellite service like at the time - how clear and fast were connections?
How often did Ryan Manelick travel from Baghdad to Anaconda?
Did Ultra Services have temporary 'field offices' on project sites in Iraq and if yes, where, and what were they like?

Reading

2010-01-15T22:35:00.000-08:00

Iraq hostage Peter Moore arrives back in UK
BBC January 1, 2010

Iraq hostage Peter Moore is now home in the United Kingdom. Still no word on the last missing security guard, Alan McMenemy, 34, from Glasgow, Scotland who was also kidnapped at the time with Moore.

Three-part series from the Salt Lake Tribune on the open air Burn Pits operating at US bases in Iraq.

The satellite image to the left shows the burn pit at Anaconda (now known as Joint Base Balad) in October 2009. It is from Google maps - see the link in the right hand side bar.

According to the Army Times, in 2008, 'Balad’s average daily output of almost 250 tons of waste is three times higher than the average of 83 tons per day generated by the city of Juneau, Alaska, which has a comparable population [of 25,000].'

One of the theories I've put forth is that Kirk von Ackermann was killed on a US base and his body disposed of in a burn pit. The most likely candidate is Camp Anaconda near where Ryan Manelick was killed just two months later. As far as I know, investigations have never pursued the theory.

Part I: Government waits for proof - sometimes for decades - before caring for sick veterans
By Matthew D. LaPlante, The Salt Lake Tribun, January 15, 2010

The VA requires former service members to prove an illness was caused by military service.

Part II: Vets: Burn pits are killing us
By Matthew D. LaPlante, The Salt Lake Tribune, January 15, 2010

Sickened warriors searching for help will have to wait for science and government bureaucracy to link their conditions to their service.

Part III: Vets say toxic tests sickened them; government says prove it
By Matthew D. LaPlante, The Salt Lake Tribune, January 15, 2010

Army says it used 'voluntary human subjects,' but ill man says 'I was private first class, I did anything they told me to do.'

Also see:

Burn pit at Balad raises health concerns
By Kelly Kennedy, Army Times, October 29, 2008

Troops say chemicals and medical waste burned at base are making them sick, but officials deny risk.

T. Christian Miller on Fresh Air

2010-01-11T13:11:00.000-08:00

Journalist T. Christian Miller was recently interviewed by Terry Gross for NPR's Fresh Air where he discussed contractors and their fight for care. Fingers crossed that issues surrounding implementation of the Defense Base Act are finally getting braoder public attention.

Wounded In Wars, Civilians Face Care Battle At Home
NPR, January 11, 2010

Miller, who wrote the book Blood Money: Wasted Billions, Lost Lives and Corporate Greed in Iraq, joins Fresh Air for a conversation about the battles these civilians face to get surgery, psychological counseling and even prosthetics — and explains the ins and outs of the laws and policies governing who's responsible for their predicament.

At ProPublica, read Miller's ongoing series, Disposable Army: civilian Contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A Sliver of Justice

2010-01-10T15:10:00.000-08:00

They say, no good deed goes unpunished. I'm hoping that won't end up being the case to this particular story.

Back in March of 2007, ePluribus Media published the first article in a three-part series which I wrote, Iraq, Contingency Contracting and the Defense Base Act. In part, the article highlighted the situation of the von Ackermann family and the lack of insurance benefits they received after Kirk von Ackermann, a civilian contractor, disappeared in Iraq in 2003.

Von Ackermann's employer at the time, Ultra Services of Istanbul Turkey, did not carry Defense Base Act insurance, similar to workman's compensation for overseas contractors. The Defense Base Act pays benefits if a contractor is killed, injured or missing. Claims under the Defense Base Act are administered by the Department of Labor.

As a result of that series, an attorney retired from the Department of Labor contacted me with questions about the article and in particular, the plight of the von Ackermann family. I pointed him to the Missing in Iraq blog and as Megan has noted at her blog, he went on to eventually take on their case.

It is my understanding that he pursued benefits for the family under the War Hazards Compensation Act. The War Hazards Compensation Act is a component of the Defense Base Act but applies only to those killed, injured or missing due to the actions of hostile forces. The War Hazards Compensation Act reimburses by 100% all benefits. As the US Army CID had determined in 2006 that Kirk von Ackermann was abducted and killed by hostile forces, the claim falls clearly under the War Hazards Act.

In other words, even if Kirk von Ackermann's employer had secured Defense Base Act insurance as required, all benefits would have been reimbursed by the Federal Government any way, in effect rendering the middle man of an insurance company as moot.

While I don't know the details beyond what Megan von Ackermann has posted on her blog (see Yuliscious), just shortly before Christmas, a check arrived from the Department of Labor - over 6 years after Kirk von Ackermann disappeared in Iraq. The Department of Labor finally recognized her claim.

Without ePluribus Media, that little bit of righting a wrong might never have happened. I'd like to take a moment to thank here everyone who helped make the series possible.

Original credits for those who worked on the article, proofreading, editing, fact checking, etc at ePluribus Media are: rba, newton snookers, cho, intranets, steven reich, greyhawk, wanderindiana, XicanoPwr, standingup, roxy

Additional Reading

Yuliscious
By Megan von Ackermann, Missing in Iraq, December 24, 2009

Defense Base Act vs War Hazards Compensation Act - graphic
December 23, 2008

The Defense Base Act - insurance for contractors
April 6, 2007

Iraq, Contingency Contracting and the Defense Base Act - reprint
March 7, 2007