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Iraq-Jordan

Iraq Insurgents Threaten to Kill American

2004-04-11

Insurgents who kidnapped an American civilian threatened in a videotape released Saturday to kill and mutilate him unless U.S. forces withdraw from the city of Fallujah.

No surprise there.

The tape of the American, broadcast on the Arab TV station Al-Jazeera, showed him identifying himself as Thomas Hamill, 43, from Mississippi. In other footage with no audio, he stood in front of an Iraqi flag, his expression calm but wary as his captors announced their threat on his life. A voice-over read by an Al-Jazeera announcer quoted Hamill as saying he was being treated well and that he works for a "private company that supports the military action."

Wonder if Mr. Zuniga (Kos) is happy?

His wife, Kellie, contacted at their home in Macon, Miss., confirmed that her husband had been captured. She told The Associated Press he works for the Houston-based engineering and construction company Kellogg, Brown & Root, a division of Halliburton, and referred all other comment to the employer. "I am in good shape," the voice-over quoted Hamill as saying. "They were good to me. They gave me antibiotics. I have no idea what is going on in Fallujah. I hear there is a siege and people are living in some sort of prison. ... I hope to return home one day, and I want my family to know that these people are taking care of me, and provide me with food, water and a place to sleep." Hamill stood in front of the red-white-and-black Iraqi flag, its emblazoned slogan "God is great" prominent above his head. His eyes darted back and forth, but he appeared calm.

The changed the colors of the flag?

His captors warned he would meet a worse fate than four American civilians killed in Fallujah on March 31, their bodies burned and mutilated by a mob, unless U.S. forces end their assault on the city "within 12 hours, starting 6 p.m." - 10 a.m. Saturday, EDT. "At the end of this period, he will be treated worse than those who were killed and burned in Fallujah," the voice-over said.

They're not capable of much more than savagery, are they?

Hamill was snatched Friday by gunmen who attacked a fuel convoy he was guarding on the main highway on Baghdad's western edge, the latest in a string of kidnappings in Iraq. Footage released earlier Saturday showed him being whisked away in a car, a gunman in the back seat with him waving an automatic weapon.

Wonder if any ICDC or Iraqi police were in on this one?

Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt refused to comment Saturday on efforts to free Hamill or other captives, saying it "would not be helpful to discuss" any plans.

Posted by:Steve White

#6 kbr - Yes, I heard that he was part of a fuel truck convoy this AM on Fox. You're saying they had a US military escort? Not very effective, was it? I haven't heard a peep about this aspect - if you have details, please post what you feel comfortable posting - a no-names version, I guess.

If I was in Iraq as a contractor, I would not take assignments in injun country unarmed, period. In fact, given the Sadr shit, everywhere but Kurdistan qualifies at the moment. One week after the Blackwater guys and within spitting distance of where it happened? Not a chance. Whomever is supervising KBR people in this zone had better wire his/her shit a bit tighter and fight for better protection for his/her people - or he/she will find himself/herself all alone. Q.E.D.

Posted by: .com 2004-04-11 3:59:17 PM

#5 The MEDIA getting all hyperbollic and teary-eyed and upset and outraged about four bodies being burned and otherwise shit on gave the Jihadi wannabe fuckwads IDEAS. Now, they KNOW they are going to make the NEWS by fiddle fucking around with HOSTAGES and CORPSES. The best attitude to have is NOT TO GIVE A SHIT one way or the other what the Islamo-fuckers do to big boys and big girls who KNEW what they were getting into a shit stew when they went to IRAQ, or joined the US MILITARY. Try the old STIFF UPPER LIP, comrade Americans. AND we need to stop allowing the MEDIA to portray AMERICANS as a gaggle of gawddamned PUSSIES.

Posted by: Anonymous 2004-04-11 3:45:09 PM

#4 This is probably not the Shia, but al-Zarqawi's group. He gave orders to kidnap Americans some time ago and a recent al-Qaeda tape reiterated the strategy.

Posted by: rkb 2004-04-11 7:03:02 AM

#3 Soldiers lost in firefights are one thing. Killing captives and especially mutilating them should result in one less Shiite mosque. Break the rules, lose a mosque. When we run out of Shiite mosques, maybe then it will be necessary to rethink our drink. I think these maggots would reassess their game plan in a hurry when they got down to the last few most precious sites they have. Of course, we should save Karbala's Tomb of El-Hussein for last. Pack it with phosphorous and powdered metals, just for the visual effects.

Posted by: Zenster 2004-04-11 5:04:44 AM

#2 He is not allowed to have a weapon. His security is the military, KBR is a direct contractor to the military, and they provide convoy escort. You do remeber the convoy that was hit the other day?

Posted by: kbr 2004-04-11 4:43:30 AM

#1 This sucks, but sometimes you're in the wrong place at the wrong time... other times you ask for it - and don't get it, so you get a pass. We don't know how he was caught, nor can we alter the plan to wipe out the asshats in the SunTri to maybe save one guy. I've been in a variation of his shoes - and there's just not much to say. You check your vehicle carefully, vary your route, change where you shop and where you eat, keep your eyes peeled for the unusual, carry a weapon (should've been an M-16 & .45 Cal ACP for him, it was a simple hickory axe handle for me - from Saco Hardware) in your car, not travel alone if you can help it - basically just keep your head out of your ass - that's about all you can do. KBR should be doing one hell of a security reassessment right about now.

If our guys think they know where he is and can reasonably take a shot at getting him out, rock on. If not, then that is how it goes - the odds always level out eventually. But the entire Iraq situation does not hinge upon one man - or 100 men.

Posted by: .com 2004-04-11 2:01:52 AM

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