Missing U.S. soldiers and civilians in Iraq
20 Jun 2006 18:50:50 GMT
(Reuters) - More than a dozen Americans remain missing in Iraq, including 11 civilians and at least two U.S. soldiers, Major General William Caldwell said on Tuesday.
Here are details of those who remain listed as missing:
*Navy Captain Michael Scott Speicher
Missing since Jan. 17, 1991
Speicher, then 33, flew a combat mission from the USS Saratoga on the first night of the Gulf War, piloting a Navy F/A-18 Hornet that was struck by a missile fired by an Iraqi aircraft.
The U.S. military lists Speicher, of Jacksonville, Fl., as "missing-captured" and has said people associated with Saddam Hussein's former government know where he is.
*Army Reserve Sgt. Keith "Matt" Maupin
Missing since April 9, 2004
Maupin's military fuel convoy was ambushed in a western suburb of Baghdad.
A week after he was seized, Maupin's captors sent a videotape to Arabic satellite television channel Al Jazeera that showed him dressed in military fatigues sitting on a floor, held captive by masked and heavily armed guerrillas.
A second videotape shown by Al Jazeera on June 28, 2004, showed what militants said was the execution of a U.S. soldier. The Army said the identification of Maupin was "not conclusive."
The U.S. military lists Maupin, of Batavia, Oh., as "missing-captured."
*11 civilians
Caldwell said 11 civilians, including contractors, were missing in Iraq.
The U.S. military has referred all inquiries on missing civilians to the U.S. State Department. The State Department could not immediately provide details on those civilians or their status. (Reporting by Kristin Roberts in Washington)
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N20210210.htm
Iraqi Official: 'Spoon-Feeding' by Foreigners Weakens Iraq
By VOA News
20 June 2006
Iraqi National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie
A top Iraqi government official says political spoon-feeding by what he calls some influential foreign figures will weaken Iraq's government and fuel a culture of dependency.
Writing in Tuesday's Washington Post, Iraq's national security adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie said Iraq needs to grow out of the shadow of the United States and take responsibility for its own decisions.
Rubaie said Iraq hopes to assume total political and military control by the end of 2008. He said he expects the number of U.S. troops in Iraq to fall below 100,000 by the end of this year, with most U.S. troops gone within a year and a half.
He said the removal of foreign troops will strengthen Iraq's government in the eyes of its people, who he said see coalition troops as occupiers, not liberators.
Rubaie said four out of Iraq's 18 provinces are ready for self-government. He said nine others are almost ready.
Rubaie said provinces will be judged ready to govern themselves when insurgent threats are down and Iraqi security can deal effectively with violence.
The article comes a week after President Bush made a surprise visit to Iraq.
Iraqi Official: 'Spoon-Feeding' by Foreigners Weakens Iraq
http://www.voanews.com/english/2006-06-20-voa63.cfm