It's an old story, there is a pilot missing and Iraq claims he is dead, yet the body was never found.
They have been going back on forth on it for some time now, Iraq was supposed to release all POWs after the war, but we say they didn't and they say they did. Some paper gets a hold of the story every year and shows how the current administration isn't doing their job. They ran it a few times under President Clinton, and now under President Bush. > -----Original Message----- > From: Larry C. Lyons [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Monday, January 13, 2003 9:33 AM > To: CF-Community > 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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