Given that the source - the Washington Times, is not know for its journalistic integrity, it makes me wonder whether the story is legit, or based on hearsay from secondary sources.
larry At 09:17 AM 1/13/03 -0500, you wrote: >Saw that friday wouldnt doubt it and i'm a little pissed we just left him >there for what 12 years now. >I always love how the govt lets some people be expendible. Hopefully if hes >still alive and we go attack iraq we rescue him. > > > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Monday, January 13, 2003 8:06 AM >Subject: [www.washtimes.com] What do u think? > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] has sent you an article from The Washington Times. > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------- > > > > NEW REPORTS SAY IRAQ HOLDING U.S. PILOT > > > > Bill Gertz > > THE WASHINGTON TIMES > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------- > > > > � � � � � The Defense Department recently obtained additional >intelligence stating that a missing Navy pilot is alive and being held by >the Iraqi government, according to U.S. officials. > > � � � � � The intelligence officials believe that the reports refer to >Navy Capt. Michael Scott Speicher, whose status was changed to >"missing/captured" by the Navy in October. > > � � � � � The reports, received in November, state that Iraq is holding a >U.S. pilot and has moved the pilot among 18 locations in the country, >according to officials familiar with the documents. The reports said the >pilot was being treated by a doctor. > > � � � � � The officials could not say how reliable the reports are or >whether they represent "circular reporting" — new reports based on old >intelligence information from the same source or similar sources. > > � � � � � A spokesman of the Defense Intelligence Agency said that it >receives such dispatches several times a year. > > � � � � � "We investigate every single one," the spokesman said, without >providing details. > > � � � � � Cindy Laquidara, a Florida lawyer who represents Capt. >Speicher's family, said in an interview that she recently spoke to an Iraqi >defector who reported seeing a captive U.S. pilot in Iraq. > > � � � � � The defector is one of at least three Iraqis who reported that >Baghdad is holding an American pilot from the 1991 Persian Gulf war. > > � � � � � Mrs. Laquidara said she believes the recent reports are based on >the defector's statements. > > � � � � � The intelligence officials said the latest information bolsters >earlier reports indicating that Iraq has been holding an American pilot >since the war. > > � � � � � Disclosure of the additional information on the pilot comes as >the U.S. military continues to send thousands of troops to the Middle East >as part of a buildup of forces for any operation against Iraq. > > � � � � � The prisoner-of-war case has complicated the Bush >administration's effort to use the threat of military force to pressure >Baghdad into disarming its chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. > > � � � � � The officials said any U.S. military action against Iraq is >likely to be preceded by covert operations to find and rescue Capt. Speicher >inside Iraq, if he is still alive. > > � � � � � There also are concerns among some Pentagon officials that >Saddam Hussein might try to exploit the issue of the missing pilot in a >standoff with the United States. Iraq might reveal that it has the pilot and >then threaten to execute him if U.S. forces invade. > > � � � � � Mrs. Laquidara said she had contacted Iraq's ambassador to the >United Nations about Capt. Speicher late last year and was told that Baghdad >is willing to make a "humanitarian gesture," which she interpreted as >meaning that Iraq may turn over the pilot or his remains. > > � � � � � "The Iraqis expressed a willingness to help me get answers to >what happened, and where he or his remains are," Mrs. Laquidara said. "They >did not admit that they have him, only that they would help. > > � � � � � "We feel that there is an urgent need to resolve the case" >before any conflict erupts, she said. > > � � � � � Sen. Pat Roberts, Kansas Republican and incoming chairman of the >Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said in an interview that he has >been pressing the Bush administration to resolve the Speicher case, as >preparations for war are under way. > > � � � � � Information obtained recently from congressional staff visits to >the region indicate that "more and more there are signs that an American POW >is in Iraq," Mr. Roberts said. > > � � � � � He said that with Iraq facing attack, Saddam may be more willing >to help resolve the case. > > � � � � � "I think we have a window of opportunity now, and we should do >everything we can to use that" to find out about Capt. Speicher, Mr. Roberts >said. > > � � � � � He sent a letter to Saddam on Monday appealing for Baghdad's >help. > > � � � � � Sen. Bill Nelson, Florida Democrat, told reporters last month >that a conflict with Iraq will make it more difficult to resolve the fate of >Capt. Speicher. > > � � � � � "The clock is ticking," Mr. Nelson told the Jacksonville, Fla., >Times-Union. "Once the balloon goes up in a hot war, it's going to be a lot >more difficult to get information. For the Defense Department to keep >dragging their feet, as they have in the past, that time is over." > > � � � � � Baghdad said last year that Capt. Speicher was dead and invited >the U.S. government to send a team of investigators to look for him. > > � � � � � The Bush administration balked. The State Department and >Pentagon chose, instead, to send a diplomatic note seeking more information. > > � � � � � In October, the Navy changed the status of Capt. Speicher to >"missing in action, captured." It was the second time since 2001 that the >Navy changed the downed pilot's status. He was initially declared killed in >action after the F-18 jet he was flying was shot down over Iraq in January >1991. That was later changed to "missing in action" in 2001 and finally >"missing/captured." > > � � � � � The status changes followed an investigation revealing that >Capt. Speicher survived the F-18 downing by ejecting and numerous >intelligence reports indicating that Iraq was holding a pilot from the Gulf >war. > > � � � � � Navy Secretary Gordon England stated in a memorandum issued Oct. >11 that the status change does not mean Capt. Speicher's location is known. >He said that if the Iraqis are holding Capt. Speicher, "he is entitled to >prisoner-of-war status under the Geneva Convention and would have been >entitled to that status from the first day he came under Iraqi control." He >also said that if Capt. Speicher is alive, "he is a prisoner of war." > > � � � � � President Bush said in a speech in September to the United >Nations that Iraq had failed to account for missing prisoners, including a >pilot. > > � � � � � Mr. Bush signed legislation into law in October aimed at helping >to resolve Capt. Speicher's case. > > � � � � � The Persian Gulf War POW/MIA Accountability Act amended earlier >law on missing military personnel. > > � � � � � The new legislation gives the attorney general the power to >grant refugee status to any Iraqi or Middle East national who "personally >delivers into the custody of the United States government a living American >Persian Gulf War POW/MIA." > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------- > > This article was mailed from The Washington Times >(http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030110-48937660.htm) > > For more great articles, visit us at http://www.washtimes.com > > > > Copyright (c) 2002 News World Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. > > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=5 This list and all House of Fusion resources hosted by CFHosting.com. The place for dependable ColdFusion Hosting. Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
