saw it on cnn but who knows ----- Original Message ----- From: "Larry C. Lyons" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, January 13, 2003 9:32 AM Subject: Re: [www.washtimes.com] What do u think?
> 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. 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