Ryan Manelick Remembered

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

New Satellite Imagery

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

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

Blue marker - check point

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



View Checkpoint in a larger map

Addendum

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

Related Posts

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

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

From Point A to Point B
November 20, 2008

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

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

Kirk's Car
December 4, 2007

Satellite Image of the Road

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


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

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

To find more images, visit GeoEye

Passing Patrol & the Checkpoint

Continuing my thoughts from the previous post...

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

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


View Larger Map

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

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

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

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

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

The Big Base near Balad

View Larger Map

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

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

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

Reference

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

Map of Camp Anaconda

Well, no actually, there isn't a map of Camp Anaconda. And I thought the military loved maps. Another myth shattered.

I filed an FOIA for a map of Camp Anaconda (also known as Balad Air Base, LSA Anaconda) from the time period of September - December 2003. I wasn't looking for anything fancy, just some basic info, nothing hush hush. According to CENTCOM, such a thing doesn't exist.

Despite our extensive and careful search for documents pertaining to your request, we were unable to locate responsive documents.

I was pretty certain CENTCOM were the go-to guys. Maybe I directed my request to the wrong agency and I should have written to the Defense Supply Center or the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

So now I'm not sure what to think. I was hoping to use the map in another article I'm working on.

Addendum: to the left is the actual FOIA letter with some identifying information blacked out specifically, officer's name, FOIA #, and contact phone number.



2nd Addendum: I thought this article might be of interest.

Terrain Team Ensures Roads are Mapped Out
By Sgt. Alexandra Hemmerly-Brown, Defend America, April 12, 2007

LOGISTICS SUPPORT AREA ANACONDA, Iraq — Most offices have them, but trailer six in the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)’s compound here, holds a very large one.

Operating out of a small trailer is a four-member contingent of the 70th Engineer Company, (currently attached to the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) ), who have the responsibility of making maps by request of the ever-changing roads of Iraq. And of course, they have a very large plotter printer for printing out their custom-made maps.

“All of our maps are mission-dictated,” said Sgt. Byram D. Faulk of Washington, D.C., the terrain team noncommissioned officer-in-charge.

The team creates maps requested by units who need the maps for specific reasons. They may need a map outlining bodies of water, or other terrain features, or they may just need a more current map then they already have, Faulk said.

More...

But nope, no map of Camp Anaconda from the fall of 2003.

Photo of LSA Anaconda by James Gordon, taken on July 26, 2005

Could U.S. Military Mechanics Hold the Keys to Finding Missing Contractor?

I have a new article coming out at ePluribus Media based loosely on The Bridge Theory. I'll post the link as soon as it's available today.



Could U.S. Military Mechanics Hold the Keys to Finding Missing Contractor?
by Susie Dow, ePluribus Media, April 20, 2008

On October 9, 2003, civilian contractor Kirk von Ackermann left a meeting at FOB Pacesetter near Balad, Iraq. His vehicle was found later that day abandoned in the Jabal Hamrin mountains, roughly 140 miles away with no sign of struggle and $40,000 in cash on the backseat.

ePluribus Media researcher and editor Susie Dow strings together the events of the last day of Kirk von Ackermann's known existence on earth.

And things just don't add up.

LSA Anaconda - General

The next few posts will look Camp Anaconda in Iraq near the city of Balad about 70 miles north of Baghdad.



Anaconda Gate, by RakkasanHotroder at Webshots, Jan 13, 2006 - North Gate

Many Names, One Place

Anaconda has had and still has several names: Al-Bakr Air Base, named after a former Iraqi President Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr (Saddam Hussein was his Vice President); Balad Air Base - name used by the US Air Force and more recently Logistics Support Area (LSA) Anaconda - name used by the US Army. For the sake of clarity and continuity from here out, LSA Anaconda.

LSA Anaconda is the primary logistics support base in Iraq. Located near the town of Balad, just north of Baghdad, it is spread over 15 square miles. The base is home to approximately 25,000 Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, and civilians. The base has two runways and is the busiest airport in Iraq. LSA Anaconda directly supports all surrounding forward operating bases with personnel, equipment, and logistics support. (ref)

In 2008, LSA Anaconda was reported as 'the busiest air base in the world operated by the Pentagon' and 'the second busiest airport in the world.' (ref)

Overview

October 9, 2003 -- Kirk von Ackermann left a meeting at FOB Pacesetter near Balad. His vehicle was found later that day abandonned in the Jabal Hamrin mountains roughly 140 miles from FOB Pacesetter.

December 14, 2003 -- Ryan Manelick was killed just after leaving a meeting at LSA Anaconda also near Balad. Shortly before his murder, he alleged fraud within his company and that it involved US Army officers.

Both worked for Ultra Services of Istanbul, Turkey.

Anaconda is just south of Balad and just west of the Tigris River. Depending on the route driven, Anaconda is about 20-25 miles from FOB Pacesetter. The two bases can be seen in this satellite image. Defintely zoom on on the map for more detail, including surface streets.


View Larger Map

Blue - FOB Pacesetter, also known as Samarra East Air Base
Red - LSA Anaconda, tags indicate north and south gates
Fire - Burn Pile
Yellow - the small cities of Balad and Samarra, also entrance to Highway 1

Military Bases in North East Iraq

The map below concentrates on military bases throughout North East Iraq in 2003. If anyone has any information on the general location of semi permanent checkpoints/road blocks during the Fall of 2003, please email me. Thank you.



About the Map

(A) Kirk von Ackermann left a meeting at FOB Pacesetter on October 9, 2003.
(B) His car was found later that day in the Jabal Hamrin mountains not long after he called an Iraqi employee to report a flat tire.
(C) His colleague, Ryan Manelick, was gunned down shortly after leaving a meeting at Camp Anaconda on December 14, 2003.

Both men worked for the same contractor, Ultra Services, of Istanbul, Turkey.

Suggestion: right click and open the map in a new window.

Map of the region in North East Iraq showing Balad to the south - Baiji to the north - Kirkuk to the north east

KEY

A - FOB Pacesetter
B - Jabal Hamrin - von Ackermann's abandoned car
C - Camp Anaconda

Circles - towns/cities known to have military bases.
Red Dots - locations of known bases, camps, stations or posts.

Names as used Fall 2003. Alternatives are shown in (parentheses)

For the most part, the military bases are located in the Salahuddin (also known as Salahuddin, Salahaddin, etc) and Ta'mim governates. Future redistricting of Iraq's governates is quite possible due to the dislocation and movement of Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen throughout the region.

There's quite a bit of conflicting information, some of which is the result of identifying a town without the name of its governate. (By way of an example: identifying a town solely with the name Springfield. Springfield, Illinois is not the same place as Springfield, Massachusetts) I've included the governates with town/city names. Anyone researching bases should carefully verify information. Please don't take my word for it.

Kirkuk, Ta'mim (also known as At-Ta'mim)

Kirkuk - north
Camp Dibis or Dibbs (ref)
Kirkuk Army Base (ref)

Kirkuk - south
FOB Gain's Mills (ref)
PB Millet (ref)

Kirkuk - west
Kirkuk Air Base (KRAB) (ref)
Camp Renegade (ref)
FOB Warrior (ref)
Krabtown (ref)

Tawuq, Ta'mim (also known as Daquq, Tawud, Tauq, Tauk and Tavuk)

Tal Ashtah New (Tal Ashtah Airbase) (ref)
FOB Daquq (FOB Grant) (ref)
Daquq JCC (ref)

Tuz Khurmatu, Ta'mim (also known as Toz, Khormato, Khurmato)

Tuz Khurmatu (Tuz Khurmatu Airbase, Al Tuz Airfield) (ref)
FOB Bernstein (ref)

Sarha, Ta'mim

A checkpoint believed to be Echo Four Checkpoint (ref)

A tactical checkpoint, Echo Four, was set up 35 miles south of Tuz by Alpha Company in an effort to prevent such ambushes, and keep the guerilla fighters in Southern Iraq. A platoon of soldiers was manning Echo Four when it came under a massive coordinated attack.

Abu Ghurayb, Ta'mim (also known as Ghraib)

Camp Vigilant Compound (ref)
Camp Ganci (ref)
Abu Ghurayb Prison (Baghdad Central Detention Center) (ref)
Camp Avalanche (Camp Redemption) (ref)

There is a second Abu Ghurayb located near Baghdad. It is not shown on this map but for the sake of clarity, the following bases can be found there.

Abu Ghurayb
Cobra Base
FOB victory
Camp Victory North
Camp al-Nasr
Camp al-Tareer
Camp Blackjack
Camp Liberty
FOB Constitution (ref)

Chay Khanah, Diyala (also known as Chai) Injanah?

Name unknown - approximate location of an Iraqi Air Base known as Injanah

Hawijah, Diyala

Name unknown

Balad, Salahuddin (also known as Salah ad-Din, etc)

Balad
FOB Eagle (Camp Paliwoda) (ref)

Balad Airbase (ref)
Camp Anaconda (ref)
FOB Lion (FOB O'Ryan) (ref
Camp Balad ref)
FOB Carpenter (FOB Wyatt) (ref)

Balad - south near Ad Dujayi
FOB Omaha (FOB Vanguard) (ref)

Samarra, Salahuddin

Samarra' East Airbase / Al Bakr Airfield (ref)
FOB Pacesetter (renamed FOB McKenzie) (ref)

Samarra' - north
Camp Brassfield-Mora (ref)
Camp Daniels (PB Casino, PB Olsen, PB Razor, PB Uvanni) (ref)
FOB 7 - Iraqi Army (ref)

Samarra' - central
Civil-Military Operations Center (CMOC) (ref)

Ad Dawr, Salahuddin (also known as Adwar)

Camp Arrow (FOB Wilson) (ref)

Tikrit, Salahuddin (also known as Takrit, Tekrit)

Tikrit - North (Al Sahra Airfield)
Camp Sycamore (FOB Speicher) (ref)
Arlington Captured Enemy Ammunition (CEA) Depot (ref)

Tikrit - East (Tikrit Airbase - East) (ref)
Former Iraqi Airbase

Tikrit - South (Tikrit Airfield - South) (ref)
Camp Cougar (Camp Packhorse renamed FOB Remagen) (ref)

Tikrit Presidential Palace
Camp Ironhorse (renamed FOB Danger) (ref)
Camp Raider (renamed FOB Dagger) (ref)

Baiji, Salahuddin (also known as Beiji, Bayji, Baji)

K-2 Airbase (ref)
Camp Lancer (ref)
FOB Tinderbox (ref)
FOB Stoddard (FOB Summerall) (ref)

Al-Fatha, Ta'mim (Al Fathah)

Name unknown - approximate location of an Iraqi Air Base

Hawijah, Ta'mim

FOB McHenry (ref)
Battle Point 1 (ref)
PB Baker (ref)

Reference Maps

BBC: Air Bases
Assorted Maps of Iraq
NY Times: US Bases in Iraq
Iraq Facilities
Stars & Stripes: Map of US Bases in Iraq
Iraqi Airfields
Airfields Pre-Iraq War
Bases - scroll down for resources

Glossary

Below is an attempt to clarify some of the military jargon. Corrections and additions are more than welcome.

In general: Base, Post, Camp, or Station.

MOB - Main Operations Base

Main Operations Base for joint forces provides sustained command and control, administration, and logistical support to special operations activities in designated areas. (ref)

COB - Contingency Operating Base

Contingency Operating Base is a brigade-size combat team plus aviation units and other support personnel. COB replaced the term, "enduring bases," which carried a connotation of a permanent US military presence in Iraq, in 2005. (ref)

LSA - Logistics Support Area

Logistics Support Area supports all surrounding FOB with personnel, equipment, and logistics support.(ref)

FOB - Forward Operating Base

A forward operating base is any semi-permanent secured forward position used to launch and support sustained tactical operations. (ref)

PB - Patrol Base

A Patrol Base is significantly smaller than a FOB and is usually occupied by a company or platoon size element, whereas a FOB may house a brigade. Less than five percent of the units in Iraq operated from patrol bases. (ref)

CMOC - Civil Military Operations Center

Civil Military Operations Center assist in the coordination of activities of engaged military forces, and other United States Government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and regional and international organizations. There is no established structure. Size and composition are situation dependent. (ref)

Camp - Camp

A Camp supports US Army combat operations. In 2005, many of the Camps were renamed using FOB.

CoP - Combat Outpost

is a fortified position that provides logistical support to combat patrols. CoP may have less than 200 personnel.

Additional reading:

Glossary of military terms from militaryterms.info

Base Camp Design for Operations Other Than War (OOTW) A theoretical project for Systems Engineers which provides a good overview about basic 'base' functions.

The Tikrit & Kirkuk Road

Kirk von Ackermann's car was discovered abandoned on October 9, 2003 in the Jabal Hamrin mountains. The approximate location was given as Latitude North 34 Degrees 54’ 16.998” Longitude East 43 Degrees 57’ 45.836” (34 54.169 - 43 57.458) at an altitude of 232 meters.

Driving, it's about 25 miles outside of Tikrit.


View Larger Map

There are a few video clips of the area online, both shot from helicopters.

Crossing Ridgeline In Iraq by galtcitycouncil

Video from my tour in Iraq in 2005. This shows us crossing a mountain ridgeline heading for Kirkuk from Tikrit. Notice that Iraq is very green during the spring. Also, most people forget Iraq has many mountains in the north.

I really wish there was just a little bit more to this next clip as it ends just as the hills begin to rise.

Chopper Ride departing FOB Danger - Tikrit by Eric

Just a quick clip of an airlift from FOB Danger in Tikrit en route to FOB Warrior in Kirkuk.

There are numerous news reports of check points, patrols and convoys along the road between Tikrit and Kirkuk. The first gives an idea of how long it takes a convoy to move through the area.

Soldiers Keep Their Eyes on the Road During Combat Logistics Patrols in Iraq
By Charlie Coon, Stars and Stripes, Mideast Edition March 7, 2005

Tuesday's convoy was typical, it ran from Tikrit to Kirkuk and back, about 65 miles and 2 hours, 45 minutes each way.

The route snaked through downtown Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown, and moved out onto a crusty two-lane road dubbed IED Alley for its history of roadside bombs that have been placed there. [...]

The convoy leaves Tikrit and enters a barren land of dirt and rocks, hills and crevices and the occasional sheep farmer.

The area has had its own share of power struggles both political and criminal.

Tensions boil over between Kurds and Arabs
By Patrick Cockburn, Independent, April 14, 2003

At least eight people were killed in gun battles between Iraqi Kurds and Arab tribes south of Kirkuk yesterday as Arabs in northern Iraq become increasingly nervous of the Kurdish advance south.

The fighting was around the town of Hawi Jah on the road between the Iraqi oil centre of Kirkuk and the city of Tikrit.

"It has been chaos. The Kurds are here to steal, and have killed some of our people while trying to rob them on the road," said one leader of the al-Obaid tribe. Arabs said five people were killed in the clashes while the peshmerga said three of their number were killed.

In The North, Fear And Hate
By Borzou Daraghi, Columbia Journalism Review, May-June 2003

Muhammad and Tahseen had helped me explore the back roads and smugglers' routes in the no-man's-land surrounding government-controlled Kirkuk. Antiaircraft tracers lit up my driver's face as he watched the coalition's nighttime bombing raids over that city, his hometown, and the Kurds' lost dream city. On April 10, we gunned it in a convoy behind Kurdish pesh merga and United States Special Forces as they stormed Khaneqin, a Baghdad-controlled city to the south of the autonomous Kurdish area, soaking up the adulation of residents welcoming us to their newly liberated town. We sped through the desert past miles of abandoned Iraqi military positions and deserting Iraqi soldiers on our way to Kirkuk.

But those were all in Kurdistan. Now we were in Arabia, and my driver and translator were like fish out of water. All day long on the drive to Tikrit they had complained and fretted and resisted. They weren't unique. Two journalists from NBC had to fire one of their drivers midway to Tikrit because he refused to go any further.

But leaving Kevin behind was an altogether different story. "Stop the car, you coward!" I yelled at Muhammad. "Go back now! I'm not going to leave Kevin behind."

As if waking up from a trance, he finally began to slow down. We turned around and went back to get the photographer. We found him putt-putting along at five miles an hour in his ailing car. He was very glad to see us.

Kevin's Kurdish driver, Adnan, had raced his engine and clogged up the carburetor of his Nissan. Kevin said a nice Arab taxi driver had offered to help, but Adnan contemptuously shooed him away. He said he didn't believe any Arab could fix his car.

More...

Jabal Hamrin and Jabal Makhul

A quick note on spellings: Arabic to English translation is partially based on sound. As a result, there are almost always spelling variations for even the most common names. (See Lost in Translation) Variations of Jabal Hamrin include any combination of: Djebel, Djbel, Jabul, Jebel, Hamrain, Hamrayn, Hamryn, Hemrin, Himreen, Himrin, Humreen, Humrin, etc.


Patrol near Bayji, Iraq submitted by CW4 Alexis Geacintov for the 2008 Calendar of Stars and Stripes. Addendum: Alex Geacintov has a website of his photographs - please be sure to check it out.

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

In the town of Baiji, where his disappearance was originally reported, the main police station had only passing knowledge of the situation. Col. Ismael Abdullah Jassim, the commander who led searches in the days immediately after the disappearance, left his post last month and did not brief his replacement on the details.

Lt. Muhamad Abdullah Jassim, one of Col. Jassim's deputies, said: "We took one of Mr. von Ackermann's colleagues out on a patrol to search for him and gave copies of photos of Mr. von Ackermann to local tribal leaders. Then we went out again just on our own. So far, we have heard nothing."

The Tigris River bisects a mountain range as it passes through a gorge near Bayji in Iraq. The pass is known as the al-Fatha Gorge or The Aperture. There's a very dramatic flyover view of the gorge here about 3/4 of the way down the page. It's well-worth the click. The mountains rise to about 1200 feet from the Tigris River basin.

Below is a satellite image from Google. Included are markers for FOB Pacesetter in the south, Tikrit, Bayji, al-Fatha Gorge, Kirkuk, as well as a mid-point for the road between Tikrit and Kirkuk.


View Larger Map

If you'd like to see the satellite image in 3D, consider downloading and playing around with Google Earth.

Jabal Makhul

From the al-Fatha Gorge, the northern ridge just west of the Tigris is known as the Jabal Makhul. Jabal means mountain. According to one scholar (ref), Makhul means 'kohl colored.' Kohl was once commonly used to make eyeliner as well as to darken the area under the eyes to protect from the glare of the sun. (Also Mak Hull, Makhal, Makol, Makul, Mokhul, etc)

During the 1980's, Saddam Hussein built an underground oil refinery in the Presidential Palace located in the Jabal Makhul. Baby Babylon, a 350 mm. supergun, was stationed in the mountains during the Iraq/Iran War. It was reported dismantled by the UN after Gulf War I (ref).

The Jabal Makhul Presidential Palace featured prominently in theories and rumors of illegal weapon programs. A number of 'experts' insisted secret tunnels criss crossed the area hiding everything from blue prints to nuclear weapons. Initially, UNSCOM inspectors found water. Beginning in the late 1990s, a number of Iraqi defectors stepped forward to inspectors with additional allegations. Former UNSCOM inspector Scott Ritter shed a fair amount of ink on Jabal Hamrin in his book Iraq Confidential: The Untold Story of the intelligence Conspiracy to Undermine the UN and Overthrow Saddam Hussein. No weapons of mass destruction were found.

The 'tunnels' of Jabal Makhul made news again in 2006 when fires from low grade black oil were lit near Bayji. The massive plumes of smoke were visible by satellite.


Waste Oil Dumps Threaten Towns in Northern Iraq
By James Glanz, New York Times, June 19, 2006

...in 1992, Iraqi engineers began drilling deep holes into Makhul, said Adnan Sammaraie, an Iraqi engineer who was then an Oil Ministry official and worked on the plans for the project.

The idea was to pump black oil and other refinery byproducts inside the mountains, where countless miles of cracks, caves and fissures could in theory contain almost limitless volumes, Sammaraie said. But the system was improperly monitored and it malfunctioned almost immediately, coughing up black oil and other polluted wastes and pouring them over the mountain range.

Engineers shut Makhul down, not for environmental reasons per se, but rather out of fear that the seeping oil would reach the Tigris and flow downstream toward the town of Auja, which sits on the riverbanks near Tikrit, Saddam's home. "Everyone was scared to death," Sammaraie said.

Jabal Hamrin

From the al-Fatha Gorge, the southern ridge east of the Tigris River is known as the Jabal Hamrin or 'Reddish Mountain' (ref). The ridge forms the border between the provinces (governates) of At Ta'mim and Salah ad Din.

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

A US Army spokesman has confirmed a report earlier in the week of an American contractor who went missing by the Jabal Hamrin mountain ridge on the road north to Kirkuk.

The contractor, whose name and company were not released, had phoned in to report a flat tire but when assistance arrived at the scene, only the contractor's car and some personal items were found.

The Jabal Hamrin is sparsely populated with small villages, population approximately 100 people per square mile.

One ancient name for Jabal Hamrin was Barimma (ref - p 660) or Temple of Rimmon (Syrian pagan god of thunder). Sumerian scholars believe Jabal Hamrin is the Mount Ebih in the myth, Inanna and Ebih. The Sumerian myths are some of the oldest known writings of literature in the world (ref).

Art Lecture: From Here to Sumeria
By Leila Kubba, October 05, 2004

At that time, the most famous goddess was Inanna. Inanna, queen of heaven and earth. Inanna, lady of the largest heart. I became absolutely fascinated with Inanna, because there were so many translations of her life and she was so important in Sumerian times, and then went on to become – in Babylonian times, she became Ishtar, and eventually Venus. But at that time, in Sumerian times, she was not only the goddess of love, she was the queen of heaven. She was called both the first daughter of the moon and the morning and evening star, which is the planet Venus. So I guess her role was diminished as time went on.

She is the Sumerian version of a personification of the whole of reality. Inanna is a complex and paradoxical goddess that mirrors a wide range of characteristics, whose nature is both dark and light. A passage from the poem "Inanna and Ebih" – Ebih is Jebel Hamrin, which is towards the north of Iraq. It is the story of a conflict between the goddess and a defiant mountain. Ultimately, Inanna triumphs over Ebih. By challenging Ebih, she challenges nature and tries to dominate nature. Here she represents the human race, who are then becoming farmers or conquerors of the natural earth.

Here is when she talks to the mountain. She was very sure of herself and very arrogant. You can imagine this Inanna standing in front of this huge mountain.

I, the lady, came near, and the mountain did not fear, did not tremble of its own accord, nor wipe its nose on the ground. Even the Holy Anuna [the council of the gods] stand in awe of me. Listen! I, the lady, came near and the mountain did not fear.

I realize this is a bit off track from what I usually post here at the Missing Man but felt the myth of Inanna and Ebih captured a presence in the Jabal Hamrin that satellite photos can only hint at.

Additional reading:
Sumerian Myths by Michael Webster
Sumerian Mythology by Christopher Siren
Sumerian Mythology by Samuel Noah Kramer
Inanna, Lady of Largest Heart by Betty De Shong Meador
Encyclopedia of Islam by EJ Brill


Coming soon: a map of the region showing American bases and camps that were active in the fall of 2003.

FOB Pacesetter

In the last few posts, I asked several questions about what to me seemed like odd choices that Kirk von Ackermann made shortly before he disappeared. This post looks at the area surrounding the last base he visited for context.

Excerpt from Death of a Contractor

On October 9th, not long after he and Phillips tried to take half of Ultra Services from Dawkins and create a rival company, Kirk von Ackermann visited FOB McKenzie, a U.S. forward operating base near Samarra. After meeting with a Turkish subcontractor, he left the base behind the wheel of his Nissan Patrol SUV. He was alone.

Prior to December of 2003, Forward Operating Base (FOB) McKenzie was known as FOB Pacesetter.


An aerial photo of FOB Pacesetter originally posted online at webshots.com by a member of the US Army, kinard_r.

Map inset showing the general location of Pacesetter originally published in the New York Times on December 29, 2003.

FOB Pacesetter was home to an artillery battalion of the 4th Infantry Division. The base has also been referred to as Camp Pacesetter, Samarra East Air Base and/or Al Bakr Airfield. Pacesetter is probably most notable as the first home of the Stryker Brigade in December 2003 (ref). The region immediately surrounding the base is flat and dry and quickly changes to mud under winter rains.

Interview with MAJ Deverick Jenkins
Combat Studies Institute Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, February 21, 2007

JENKINS: We ended up on Forward Operating Base (FOB) Pacesetter and there was just an artillery battalion there. They were responsible for this entire airbase which was possible because it was a pretty wide open space. All you could see for miles was sand and farmers. It was pretty doable security wise. We did visit the 4th Infantry Division in Tikrit one day to pick up commander’s emergency response program (CERP) funds and we were salivating at how good they had it. Of the month we were at FOB Pacesetter, we only had electricity in tents for about four days. We were there when Saddam was captured in December 2003. I spent my worst Christmas ever there.

Capsized in the canal
by Michael Gilbert, News Tribune, February 20, 2005

So many U.S. convoys had been attacked along the highway through Duluiyah that they’d taken to calling it Ambush Alley. A cemetery north of town was the suspected launch site for mortar and rocket attacks on the American camp at Saddam’s old air base nearby, dubbed Forward Operating Base Pacesetter by its new American occupants.

A field artillery battalion from the 4th Infantry Division out of Fort Hood, Texas, was the lone occupant at Pacesetter before the Strykers showed up. With a few hundred artillerymen, the battalion didn’t have the numbers to make a major push into Duluiyah. And the 4th I.D. was concentrating on problems elsewhere – Tikrit, Samarra and Balad.

Map of the region surrounding Samarra from Maps.com (see 'click here to zoom')

It's not clear which direction von Ackermann travelled after he left FOB Pacesetter.

To the north of FOB Pacesetter is the historic city of Samarra, population approx 300,000.

To the south of FOB Pacesetter is the city of Ad Duluiyah, population approx 50,000. It's about 20 miles between Ad Duluiyah and Samarra.

In 2003, a number of other small American bases were scattered through out the area: in Samarra - Camp Brassfield-Mora, Patrol Base Casino, Civil-Military Operations Center in Samarra; further south in Balad - Camp Anaconda, FOB Lion, Camp Balad, FOB Carpenter, FOB Omaha, FOB Eagle. Von Ackermann's colleague, Ryan Manelick, was killed shortly after leaving Anaconda for Baghdad.

Looking north of Samarra is the city of Tikrit, population approx 200,000, home to the tribe of Saddam Hussein. There were several American bases in Tikrit in 2003. To the south - Camp Packhorse (renamed FOB Remagen) and to the east - FOB Speicher. Inside the Tikrit Presidential Palace, Camp Ironhorse (renamed FOB Danger) and nearby Camp Raider (renamed FOB Dagger). Just south of Tikrit, Camp Arrow in the small city of Ad Dawr. Ad Dawr was where Hussein was captured in December 2003.

It is my understanding that John Dawkins was in a meeting at one of the bases in Tikrit when the call came through that von Ackermann was missing.

For more information on Pacesetter:

Global Security
Photos

If you know anyone who was stationed at FOB Pacesetter in the fall of 2003, please email me. I'd like to hear about access and restrictions getting on and off the base, local patrols, curfews and travel restrictions, etc.

Update - satellite photo of Balad

Northeast of Balad, on the other side of the river Tigris, you should be able to spot the air base.


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