2 US Soldiers MIA
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http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/06/16/iraq.main/index.html
2 U.S. troops missing, 1 killed in attack
Prominent Shiite mosque hit again; 11 killed
Friday, June 16, 2006; Posted: 7:05 p.m. EDT (23:05 GMT)
A quick reaction team was searching for the missing soldiers early Saturday morning. The team was dispatched to the scene after other troops nearby heard gunfire.
The soldiers were officially listed as "whereabouts unknown," which means they could have been captured or killed or could be hiding out.
The death brought to 2,492 the number of U.S. troops killed in the Iraq war. Seven American civilian employees of the military also have died in the conflict.
In other violence earlier, a suicide bomber wearing an explosives belt attacked the Buratha Mosque in Baghdad during Friday prayers, killing 11 and wounding 25, police said, two months after 81 people were killed there.
The attack in the Autaifiya neighborhood was carried out just after noon, despite a massive security crackdown involving 70,000 Iraqi troops and a ban on driving from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., designed to thwart such violence during Friday observances.
Buratha is a prominent mosque affiliated with the Shiite political movement Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq.
It was not clear if the imam -- parliament member Sheikh Jalaluddin al-Saghir who's affiliated with the Shiite-led United Iraqi Alliance -- was at the mosque.
The attack that killed 80 took place April 7, also during Friday prayers, was thought to have been carried out by Sunnis, amid an upsurge in sectarian violence triggered by the February bombing of the Shiite Askariya Mosque in Samarra.
Also Friday, three civilians were killed and 16 others wounded during a mortar strike in a residential part of northern Baghdad around 12:20 p.m., police said.
An overnight curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. will begin in Baghdad on Friday until further notice, officials say.
2 U.S. troops missing, 1 killed in attack
Prominent Shiite mosque hit again; 11 killed
Friday, June 16, 2006; Posted: 7:05 p.m. EDT (23:05 GMT)
A quick reaction team was searching for the missing soldiers early Saturday morning. The team was dispatched to the scene after other troops nearby heard gunfire.
The soldiers were officially listed as "whereabouts unknown," which means they could have been captured or killed or could be hiding out.
The death brought to 2,492 the number of U.S. troops killed in the Iraq war. Seven American civilian employees of the military also have died in the conflict.
In other violence earlier, a suicide bomber wearing an explosives belt attacked the Buratha Mosque in Baghdad during Friday prayers, killing 11 and wounding 25, police said, two months after 81 people were killed there.
The attack in the Autaifiya neighborhood was carried out just after noon, despite a massive security crackdown involving 70,000 Iraqi troops and a ban on driving from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., designed to thwart such violence during Friday observances.
Buratha is a prominent mosque affiliated with the Shiite political movement Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq.
It was not clear if the imam -- parliament member Sheikh Jalaluddin al-Saghir who's affiliated with the Shiite-led United Iraqi Alliance -- was at the mosque.
The attack that killed 80 took place April 7, also during Friday prayers, was thought to have been carried out by Sunnis, amid an upsurge in sectarian violence triggered by the February bombing of the Shiite Askariya Mosque in Samarra.
Also Friday, three civilians were killed and 16 others wounded during a mortar strike in a residential part of northern Baghdad around 12:20 p.m., police said.
An overnight curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. will begin in Baghdad on Friday until further notice, officials say.
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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAQ_US_SOLDIERS_MISSING?SITE=DCSAS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-06-17-15-35-49
2 U.S. troops sought amid abduction report
By KIM GAMEL
Associated Press Writer
2 US Soldiers Missing in Iraq
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- U.S. troops on Saturday searched for two soldiers missing after an attack that killed one of their comrades at a checkpoint in the so-called "Triangle of Death" south of Baghdad.
U.S. Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said four raids had been carried out since Friday's attack and that ground forces, helicopters and airplanes were taking part in the search.
He said a dive team also was going to search for the men, whose checkpoint was located by a Euphrates River canal near Youssifiyah, 12 miles south of Baghdad.
The New York Times reported that Iraqi residents in the area said they saw two soldiers taken prisoner by a group of masked guerrillas. It said the two surviving soldiers were led to two cars and driven away.
Fellow soldiers at a nearby checkpoint heard small-arms fire and explosions, and a quick-reaction force reached the scene in 15 minutes, the military said. The force found one soldier dead but no sign of the two others.
"We are currently using every means at our disposal on the ground, in the air and in the water to find them," said Caldwell, the spokesman for U.S. forces in Baghdad.
The area is known as the Triangle of Death because of the frequent ambushes and attacks against U.S. soldiers and Iraqi troops.
The spokesman noted the military was still searching for Sgt. Keith Matthew Maupin, who went missing on April 9, 2004.
"We continue to search using every means available and will not stop looking until we find the missing soldiers," he said.
Maupin was captured when insurgents ambushed his fuel convoy with the 724th Transportation Co. west of Baghdad. A week later, Arab television network Al-Jazeera aired a videotape showing Maupin sitting on the floor surrounded by five masked men holding automatic rifles.
That June, Al-Jazeera aired another tape purporting to show a U.S. soldier being shot. But the dark, grainy tape showed only the back of the victim's head and did not show the actual shooting. The Army ruled it was inconclusive whether the soldier was Maupin.
A 20-year-old private first class at the time of his capture, Maupin has been promoted twice since then.
2 U.S. troops sought amid abduction report
By KIM GAMEL
Associated Press Writer
2 US Soldiers Missing in Iraq
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- U.S. troops on Saturday searched for two soldiers missing after an attack that killed one of their comrades at a checkpoint in the so-called "Triangle of Death" south of Baghdad.
U.S. Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said four raids had been carried out since Friday's attack and that ground forces, helicopters and airplanes were taking part in the search.
He said a dive team also was going to search for the men, whose checkpoint was located by a Euphrates River canal near Youssifiyah, 12 miles south of Baghdad.
The New York Times reported that Iraqi residents in the area said they saw two soldiers taken prisoner by a group of masked guerrillas. It said the two surviving soldiers were led to two cars and driven away.
Fellow soldiers at a nearby checkpoint heard small-arms fire and explosions, and a quick-reaction force reached the scene in 15 minutes, the military said. The force found one soldier dead but no sign of the two others.
"We are currently using every means at our disposal on the ground, in the air and in the water to find them," said Caldwell, the spokesman for U.S. forces in Baghdad.
The area is known as the Triangle of Death because of the frequent ambushes and attacks against U.S. soldiers and Iraqi troops.
The spokesman noted the military was still searching for Sgt. Keith Matthew Maupin, who went missing on April 9, 2004.
"We continue to search using every means available and will not stop looking until we find the missing soldiers," he said.
Maupin was captured when insurgents ambushed his fuel convoy with the 724th Transportation Co. west of Baghdad. A week later, Arab television network Al-Jazeera aired a videotape showing Maupin sitting on the floor surrounded by five masked men holding automatic rifles.
That June, Al-Jazeera aired another tape purporting to show a U.S. soldier being shot. But the dark, grainy tape showed only the back of the victim's head and did not show the actual shooting. The Army ruled it was inconclusive whether the soldier was Maupin.
A 20-year-old private first class at the time of his capture, Maupin has been promoted twice since then.
Hope they find them (alive) soon.
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From CENTCOM....
http://tinyurl.com/ohg8x
Major Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, Multi-National Force-Iraq Spokesman, announced that a Coalition Forces soldier was killed and two others are listed as Duty Status and Whereabouts Unknown in the following statement June 17:
“Good Afternoon.
Last night, a Coalition Force Soldier was killed and two others are currently listed as Duty Status and Whereabouts Unknown after their security element came under attack at a traffic control point south of Yusifiyah, Iraq, at approximately 7:55 p.m. local time, Friday, June 16th. The names of the Soldiers are being withheld pending notification of their next of kin.
Coalition Forces and Iraqi Security Forces initiated a search operation within minutes to determine the status of these Soldiers, and we are currently using every means at our disposal on the ground, in the air and in the water to find them.
The specifics of this situation currently available for release are as follows:
Coalition forces at an adjacent traffic control point heard an explosion and small arms fire at approximately 7:55 p.m. last night in the vicinity of the missing Soldier’s checkpoint, at a canal crossing near the Euphrates River in the vicinity of Yusifiyah.
After being unable to communicate with the check point, a Quick Reaction Force was launched, arriving on scene within 15 minutes.
The Quick Reaction Force reported finding one Soldier killed in action and two Soldiers duty status and whereabouts unknown.
All traffic control points were notified to stop civilian traffic and increase security.
Helicopter, unmanned aerial vehicle and fixed wing assets provided reconnaissance over and around the site.
A dive team was requested.
Within an hour of the incident, blocking positions were established throughout the area in a concerted effort to focus the search and prevent movement of suspects out of the area.
Three raids were conducted during the night on suspected possible locations, and a fourth operation was conducted this morning.
Coalition Forces engaged with local leaders in the area to enlist the support of civilians in providing any information they could, and these engagements continue.
Dive teams are now on site, working the canals and river.
There is cross coordination among adjacent units to develop actionable intelligence on our Soldiers’ whereabouts.
We are using all available assets, Coalition and Iraqi – ground, air and water – to locate and determine the duty status of our Soldiers. We continue today to search for Sgt. Matt Maupin, captured in April of 2004. We continue to search using every means available and will not stop looking until we find the missing Soldiers. Make no mistake: we never stop looking for our service members until their status is definitively determined, and we will continue to pray for their safe return.”
http://tinyurl.com/ohg8x
Major Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, Multi-National Force-Iraq Spokesman, announced that a Coalition Forces soldier was killed and two others are listed as Duty Status and Whereabouts Unknown in the following statement June 17:
“Good Afternoon.
Last night, a Coalition Force Soldier was killed and two others are currently listed as Duty Status and Whereabouts Unknown after their security element came under attack at a traffic control point south of Yusifiyah, Iraq, at approximately 7:55 p.m. local time, Friday, June 16th. The names of the Soldiers are being withheld pending notification of their next of kin.
Coalition Forces and Iraqi Security Forces initiated a search operation within minutes to determine the status of these Soldiers, and we are currently using every means at our disposal on the ground, in the air and in the water to find them.
The specifics of this situation currently available for release are as follows:
Coalition forces at an adjacent traffic control point heard an explosion and small arms fire at approximately 7:55 p.m. last night in the vicinity of the missing Soldier’s checkpoint, at a canal crossing near the Euphrates River in the vicinity of Yusifiyah.
After being unable to communicate with the check point, a Quick Reaction Force was launched, arriving on scene within 15 minutes.
The Quick Reaction Force reported finding one Soldier killed in action and two Soldiers duty status and whereabouts unknown.
All traffic control points were notified to stop civilian traffic and increase security.
Helicopter, unmanned aerial vehicle and fixed wing assets provided reconnaissance over and around the site.
A dive team was requested.
Within an hour of the incident, blocking positions were established throughout the area in a concerted effort to focus the search and prevent movement of suspects out of the area.
Three raids were conducted during the night on suspected possible locations, and a fourth operation was conducted this morning.
Coalition Forces engaged with local leaders in the area to enlist the support of civilians in providing any information they could, and these engagements continue.
Dive teams are now on site, working the canals and river.
There is cross coordination among adjacent units to develop actionable intelligence on our Soldiers’ whereabouts.
We are using all available assets, Coalition and Iraqi – ground, air and water – to locate and determine the duty status of our Soldiers. We continue today to search for Sgt. Matt Maupin, captured in April of 2004. We continue to search using every means available and will not stop looking until we find the missing Soldiers. Make no mistake: we never stop looking for our service members until their status is definitively determined, and we will continue to pray for their safe return.”
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http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/06/18/missing-soldiers.html
Last Updated Sun, 18 Jun 2006 16:52:45 EDT
Iraqi insurgents decoyed U.S. military vehicles from a checkpoint and then attacked a remaining one, killing the driver and abducting two soldiers, witnesses said as the search continued for the missing men on Sunday.
White House spokesman Tony Snow said he could not confirm reports that the soldiers had been abducted when insurgents attacked a checkpoint close to the town of Yusufiya, about 20 kilometres south of Baghdad, at dusk on Friday.
Snow would only say that the men were missing and that U.S. troops were searching for them on a second straight day.
But local residents said they saw masked militants snatch the soldiers from a checkpoint along a canal near the Euphrates River and whisk them away in cars, the New York Times reported on Sunday.
U.S. officials have not revealed any identities.
The attack took place in a Sunni-dominated region south of the capital that is known as the Triangle of Death because militants often ambush U.S. soldiers and Iraqi troops there.
Humvee isolated in the attack
As the checkpoint came under fire, Americans in two Humvees began pursuing the insurgents, who had retreated into nearby groves — possibly to lure U.S. soldiers away from the crossing, the New York Times reported.
Witnesses said a group of seven or eight insurgents then swarmed the Humvee that was still at the checkpoint, killing the driver.
At least one of the attackers was armed with a machine-gun and two carried rocket-propelled grenades, the newspaper said.
U.S. troops backed by helicopters fanned out across the region but had no news to report on Sunday.
U.S. Maj.-Gen. William Caldwell, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Iraq, said on Saturday that a dive team would be searching the canal.
In addition, American soldiers went door to door in the area, witnesses said.
Nasty......
Surrender really isn't an option in Iraq these days
Last Updated Sun, 18 Jun 2006 16:52:45 EDT
Iraqi insurgents decoyed U.S. military vehicles from a checkpoint and then attacked a remaining one, killing the driver and abducting two soldiers, witnesses said as the search continued for the missing men on Sunday.
White House spokesman Tony Snow said he could not confirm reports that the soldiers had been abducted when insurgents attacked a checkpoint close to the town of Yusufiya, about 20 kilometres south of Baghdad, at dusk on Friday.
Snow would only say that the men were missing and that U.S. troops were searching for them on a second straight day.
But local residents said they saw masked militants snatch the soldiers from a checkpoint along a canal near the Euphrates River and whisk them away in cars, the New York Times reported on Sunday.
U.S. officials have not revealed any identities.
The attack took place in a Sunni-dominated region south of the capital that is known as the Triangle of Death because militants often ambush U.S. soldiers and Iraqi troops there.
Humvee isolated in the attack
As the checkpoint came under fire, Americans in two Humvees began pursuing the insurgents, who had retreated into nearby groves — possibly to lure U.S. soldiers away from the crossing, the New York Times reported.
Witnesses said a group of seven or eight insurgents then swarmed the Humvee that was still at the checkpoint, killing the driver.
At least one of the attackers was armed with a machine-gun and two carried rocket-propelled grenades, the newspaper said.
U.S. troops backed by helicopters fanned out across the region but had no news to report on Sunday.
U.S. Maj.-Gen. William Caldwell, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Iraq, said on Saturday that a dive team would be searching the canal.
In addition, American soldiers went door to door in the area, witnesses said.
Nasty......
Surrender really isn't an option in Iraq these days
1
17thRecceSgt
Guest
War is hell, get home safe troops.
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That is unfortunate for them if true, I hope they are found and soon.
We don't teach enough if anything about surrender. It is never an option in any battle IMHO with the exception of being unable to defend yourself. Too many troops surrendered in Yugo without the correct reason. Does anyone know if it is now taught in the training cycle?
We don't teach enough if anything about surrender. It is never an option in any battle IMHO with the exception of being unable to defend yourself. Too many troops surrendered in Yugo without the correct reason. Does anyone know if it is now taught in the training cycle?
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yes3rd Horseman said:
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3rd Horseman said:
I doubt these guys "surrendered" ...
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Names out now....
http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060618-13290.html
DoD Identifies Army Casualty and Soldiers as Whereabouts Unknown
The Department of Defense announced today the death of one soldier and the identity of two soldiers listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown (DUSTWUN) who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. On June 16, in Baghdad, Iraq, the soldiers were manning a checkpoint when they came under enemy small arms fire. All three soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Killed was:
Spc. David J. Babineau, 25, of Springfield, Mass.
Reported as DUSTWUN are:
Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23, of Houston, Texas
Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker, 25, of Madras, Ore.
CENTCOM Update
http://tinyurl.com/nbmx9
''BAGHDAD, Iraq – A thorough search continues for two Soldiers still listed as duty status and whereabouts unknown with a combined force from Multi-National Division – Baghdad, and the Iraqi army and police. They continue to conduct coordinated and continuous day and night operations.
In addition to the two Soldiers, one MND-B Soldier was killed when their security team was attacked at a forward check point south of Yusufiyah at approximately 7:55 p.m. Friday.
Contrary to some recent media reports, the Soldiers’ status has not changed and the search continues.
MND-B leaders are using all means at their disposal in an attempt to discover the whereabouts of the Soldiers, to include unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters, boats, and dive teams.
Despite anti-Iraqi forces’ efforts to disrupt search efforts with harassing attacks, Coalition Forces continue to search undeterred.
“We will never leave a fallen comrade,” said Maj. Gen. James D. Thurman, commanding general, MND-B. “Make no doubt about it, the welfare and status of these two Soldiers is our primary concern.”
The search has expanded out from the immediate Yusufiyah area, employing Soldiers from at least three brigade combat teams, Multi-National Division-West, and other Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces.
Iraqi citizens continue to assist the search efforts by providing a significant number of leads, which have, and continue to be, investigated. Coalition Forces continue dialogue, at all levels, with Iraqi leaders and citizens to maintain continued cooperation and gain additional information.''
Good luck, guys - my thoughts are with the families.
http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2006/nr20060618-13290.html
DoD Identifies Army Casualty and Soldiers as Whereabouts Unknown
The Department of Defense announced today the death of one soldier and the identity of two soldiers listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown (DUSTWUN) who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. On June 16, in Baghdad, Iraq, the soldiers were manning a checkpoint when they came under enemy small arms fire. All three soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Killed was:
Spc. David J. Babineau, 25, of Springfield, Mass.
Reported as DUSTWUN are:
Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23, of Houston, Texas
Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker, 25, of Madras, Ore.
CENTCOM Update
http://tinyurl.com/nbmx9
''BAGHDAD, Iraq – A thorough search continues for two Soldiers still listed as duty status and whereabouts unknown with a combined force from Multi-National Division – Baghdad, and the Iraqi army and police. They continue to conduct coordinated and continuous day and night operations.
In addition to the two Soldiers, one MND-B Soldier was killed when their security team was attacked at a forward check point south of Yusufiyah at approximately 7:55 p.m. Friday.
Contrary to some recent media reports, the Soldiers’ status has not changed and the search continues.
MND-B leaders are using all means at their disposal in an attempt to discover the whereabouts of the Soldiers, to include unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters, boats, and dive teams.
Despite anti-Iraqi forces’ efforts to disrupt search efforts with harassing attacks, Coalition Forces continue to search undeterred.
“We will never leave a fallen comrade,” said Maj. Gen. James D. Thurman, commanding general, MND-B. “Make no doubt about it, the welfare and status of these two Soldiers is our primary concern.”
The search has expanded out from the immediate Yusufiyah area, employing Soldiers from at least three brigade combat teams, Multi-National Division-West, and other Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces.
Iraqi citizens continue to assist the search efforts by providing a significant number of leads, which have, and continue to be, investigated. Coalition Forces continue dialogue, at all levels, with Iraqi leaders and citizens to maintain continued cooperation and gain additional information.''
Good luck, guys - my thoughts are with the families.
1
17thRecceSgt
Guest
Hope they find them, and soon.
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IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 569-06
June 18, 2006
DoD Identifies Army Casualty and Soldiers as Whereabouts Unknown
The Department of Defense announced today the death of one soldier and the identity of two soldiers listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown (DUSTWUN) who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. On June 16, in Baghdad, Iraq, the soldiers were manning a checkpoint when they came under enemy small arms fire. All three soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Killed was:
Spc. David J. Babineau, 25, of Springfield, Mass.
Reported as DUSTWUN are:
Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23, of Houston, Texas
Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker, 25, of Madras, Ore.
For further information related to this release, contact Army Public Affairs at (703) 692-2000
June 18, 2006
DoD Identifies Army Casualty and Soldiers as Whereabouts Unknown
The Department of Defense announced today the death of one soldier and the identity of two soldiers listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown (DUSTWUN) who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. On June 16, in Baghdad, Iraq, the soldiers were manning a checkpoint when they came under enemy small arms fire. All three soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Killed was:
Spc. David J. Babineau, 25, of Springfield, Mass.
Reported as DUSTWUN are:
Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23, of Houston, Texas
Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker, 25, of Madras, Ore.
For further information related to this release, contact Army Public Affairs at (703) 692-2000
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http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-1879260.php
Missing troops from 101st
101st soldier killed, two kidnapped during attack on checkpoint in Iraq
By Chantal Escoto
The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle
One soldier who was killed and two others kidnapped at a checkpoint in Yusufiyah, Iraq, Friday belonged to the 101st Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
Spc. David J. Babineau, 25, of Springfield, Mass., was killed after the soldiers’ traffic control checkpoint came under enemy attack, said Fort Campbell Public Affairs spokesman John Minton.
The two missing soldiers are Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23, of Houston, Texas, and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker, 25, of Madras, Ore. All infantrymen were assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment.
Ahmed Khalaf Falah, a farmer who said he witnessed the attack Friday, said three Humvees were manning a checkpoint when they came under fire from many directions. Two Humvees went after the assailants, but the third was ambushed before it could move, he told The Associated Press.
Seven masked gunmen, including one carrying what Falah described as a heavy machine gun, killed the driver of the third vehicle, then took the two other U.S. soldiers captive, the witness said. His account could not be verified independently.
Another Iraqi said the Americans were offering $100,000 for information leading to the abductors, but the U.S. command denied that.
An umbrella group that includes al-Qaida in Iraq claimed in a Web statement Monday that it had kidnapped two soldiers reported missing south of Baghdad.
There was no immediate confirmation that the statement was credible, although it appeared on a Web site often used by al-Qaida-linked groups. U.S. officials have said they were trying to confirm whether the missing soldiers were kidnapped.
“Your brothers in the military wing of the Mujahedeen Shura Council kidnapped the two American soldiers near Youssifiya,” the group said in a statement posted on an Islamic Web site.
The White House promised to do everything it could to find the soldiers and said it had a message for anybody who may have taken the two men: “Give them back.”
More about the soldiers Babineau joined the Army in August 1998 and came to Fort Campbell the following December. He is survived by his wife, Rondi, and sons, Dominic and Donovan Babineau and stepdaughter Samantha Hensley, all of Oak Grove, Ky. His parents Paul and Dawn Babineau live in Springfield, Mass.
Menchaca entered the Army in March 2005 and arrived to Fort Campbell four months later. His wife is Christine Alvarez of Big Springs, Texas, and his mother and stepfather Maria and Sergio Vasquez of Houston, Texas.
Tucker arrived at Fort Campbell in Dec. 2005. His parents are Wesley and Margret Tucker of Burns, Ore.
Multinational Force Iraq spokesman Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said the missing soldiers are listed as “duty status and whereabouts unknown.” The category changes to “missing in action” if they are not found after 10 days.
Caldwell said a squad of on-call armed U.S. soldiers, called a quick-reaction force, responded within 15 minutes to the attack site.
Coalition forces continue to search for the two missing soldiers who were manning the checkpoint at a canal crossing near the Euphrates River.
The search U.S. troops, backed by helicopters and warplanes, fanned out across the “Triangle of Death” south of Baghdad searching for the missing servicemen. At least four raids had been carried out, but the captives were not found, the military said.
White House spokesman Tony Snow said he had no new information about the search and could not confirm reports the two men were abducted.
“We’re still trying to ascertain their whereabouts,” he told CNN’s “Late Edition.” “Obviously, there is a vigorous effort to try to locate them and to bring them back safely.”
A U.S. military spokesman, Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, said Saturday a dive team also was searching for the men, whose checkpoint was near a Euphrates River canal not far from Youssifiyah, 12 miles south of Baghdad. The Sunni region is the site of frequent ambushes of U.S. soldiers and Iraqi troops.
The U.S. military said Sunday it was continuing the search.
“Coalition and Iraqi forces will continue to search everywhere possible, uncovering every stone, until our soldiers are found, and we will continue to use every resource available in our search,” it said.
Falah also said tensions were high in the area as U.S. soldiers raided some houses and arrested men. He also said the Americans were setting up checkpoints on all roads leading to the area of the attack and helicopters were hovering at low altitudes.
A Youssifiyah resident, who claimed his house was searched by U.S. soldiers Sunday afternoon, also said the Americans used translators to offer $100,000 for information leading to those who took the soldiers.
He said he would not cooperate because he was angry with the Americans.
“I will not do it even if they pay $1 million,” the resident said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he feared retribution. “They deserve all that they are facing ... We are living a hard life because of them.”
Caldwell said, “We are currently using every means at our disposal on the ground, in the air and in the water to find them,” said Caldwell, the spokesman for U.S. forces in Baghdad.
He said blocking positions were established throughout the area within an hour of the attack to keep suspects from fleeing.
Caldwell also said the military was still searching for Sgt. Keith M. Maupin, of Batavia, Ohio, who went missing April 9, 2004.
“We continue to search using every means available and will not stop looking until we find the missing soldiers,” he said.
Maupin was captured when insurgents ambushed his fuel convoy with the 724th Transportation Co. west of Baghdad. A week later, Arab television network Al-Jazeera aired a videotape showing Maupin sitting on the floor surrounded by five masked men holding automatic rifles.
That June, Al-Jazeera aired another tape purporting to show a U.S. soldier being shot. But the dark, grainy tape showed only the back of the victim’s head and did not show the actual shooting. The Army ruled it was inconclusive whether the soldier was Maupin.
“There have been ongoing efforts,” Snow said. “Unfortunately, again, no word on Keith Maupin, either.”
Maupin, a 20-year-old private first class at the time of his capture, has been promoted twice since then.
Missing troops from 101st
101st soldier killed, two kidnapped during attack on checkpoint in Iraq
By Chantal Escoto
The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle
One soldier who was killed and two others kidnapped at a checkpoint in Yusufiyah, Iraq, Friday belonged to the 101st Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team.
Spc. David J. Babineau, 25, of Springfield, Mass., was killed after the soldiers’ traffic control checkpoint came under enemy attack, said Fort Campbell Public Affairs spokesman John Minton.
The two missing soldiers are Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23, of Houston, Texas, and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker, 25, of Madras, Ore. All infantrymen were assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment.
Ahmed Khalaf Falah, a farmer who said he witnessed the attack Friday, said three Humvees were manning a checkpoint when they came under fire from many directions. Two Humvees went after the assailants, but the third was ambushed before it could move, he told The Associated Press.
Seven masked gunmen, including one carrying what Falah described as a heavy machine gun, killed the driver of the third vehicle, then took the two other U.S. soldiers captive, the witness said. His account could not be verified independently.
Another Iraqi said the Americans were offering $100,000 for information leading to the abductors, but the U.S. command denied that.
An umbrella group that includes al-Qaida in Iraq claimed in a Web statement Monday that it had kidnapped two soldiers reported missing south of Baghdad.
There was no immediate confirmation that the statement was credible, although it appeared on a Web site often used by al-Qaida-linked groups. U.S. officials have said they were trying to confirm whether the missing soldiers were kidnapped.
“Your brothers in the military wing of the Mujahedeen Shura Council kidnapped the two American soldiers near Youssifiya,” the group said in a statement posted on an Islamic Web site.
The White House promised to do everything it could to find the soldiers and said it had a message for anybody who may have taken the two men: “Give them back.”
More about the soldiers Babineau joined the Army in August 1998 and came to Fort Campbell the following December. He is survived by his wife, Rondi, and sons, Dominic and Donovan Babineau and stepdaughter Samantha Hensley, all of Oak Grove, Ky. His parents Paul and Dawn Babineau live in Springfield, Mass.
Menchaca entered the Army in March 2005 and arrived to Fort Campbell four months later. His wife is Christine Alvarez of Big Springs, Texas, and his mother and stepfather Maria and Sergio Vasquez of Houston, Texas.
Tucker arrived at Fort Campbell in Dec. 2005. His parents are Wesley and Margret Tucker of Burns, Ore.
Multinational Force Iraq spokesman Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said the missing soldiers are listed as “duty status and whereabouts unknown.” The category changes to “missing in action” if they are not found after 10 days.
Caldwell said a squad of on-call armed U.S. soldiers, called a quick-reaction force, responded within 15 minutes to the attack site.
Coalition forces continue to search for the two missing soldiers who were manning the checkpoint at a canal crossing near the Euphrates River.
The search U.S. troops, backed by helicopters and warplanes, fanned out across the “Triangle of Death” south of Baghdad searching for the missing servicemen. At least four raids had been carried out, but the captives were not found, the military said.
White House spokesman Tony Snow said he had no new information about the search and could not confirm reports the two men were abducted.
“We’re still trying to ascertain their whereabouts,” he told CNN’s “Late Edition.” “Obviously, there is a vigorous effort to try to locate them and to bring them back safely.”
A U.S. military spokesman, Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, said Saturday a dive team also was searching for the men, whose checkpoint was near a Euphrates River canal not far from Youssifiyah, 12 miles south of Baghdad. The Sunni region is the site of frequent ambushes of U.S. soldiers and Iraqi troops.
The U.S. military said Sunday it was continuing the search.
“Coalition and Iraqi forces will continue to search everywhere possible, uncovering every stone, until our soldiers are found, and we will continue to use every resource available in our search,” it said.
Falah also said tensions were high in the area as U.S. soldiers raided some houses and arrested men. He also said the Americans were setting up checkpoints on all roads leading to the area of the attack and helicopters were hovering at low altitudes.
A Youssifiyah resident, who claimed his house was searched by U.S. soldiers Sunday afternoon, also said the Americans used translators to offer $100,000 for information leading to those who took the soldiers.
He said he would not cooperate because he was angry with the Americans.
“I will not do it even if they pay $1 million,” the resident said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he feared retribution. “They deserve all that they are facing ... We are living a hard life because of them.”
Caldwell said, “We are currently using every means at our disposal on the ground, in the air and in the water to find them,” said Caldwell, the spokesman for U.S. forces in Baghdad.
He said blocking positions were established throughout the area within an hour of the attack to keep suspects from fleeing.
Caldwell also said the military was still searching for Sgt. Keith M. Maupin, of Batavia, Ohio, who went missing April 9, 2004.
“We continue to search using every means available and will not stop looking until we find the missing soldiers,” he said.
Maupin was captured when insurgents ambushed his fuel convoy with the 724th Transportation Co. west of Baghdad. A week later, Arab television network Al-Jazeera aired a videotape showing Maupin sitting on the floor surrounded by five masked men holding automatic rifles.
That June, Al-Jazeera aired another tape purporting to show a U.S. soldier being shot. But the dark, grainy tape showed only the back of the victim’s head and did not show the actual shooting. The Army ruled it was inconclusive whether the soldier was Maupin.
“There have been ongoing efforts,” Snow said. “Unfortunately, again, no word on Keith Maupin, either.”
Maupin, a 20-year-old private first class at the time of his capture, has been promoted twice since then.
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I hope they weren't captured.
C
chaos75
Guest
Bodies of 2 missing U.S. soldiers found
Last Updated Tue, 20 Jun 2006 07:29:05 EDT
CBC News
The bodies of two U.S. soldiers who had been missing in Iraq since Friday have been found, an Iraqi military official said on Tuesday.
Maj. Gen. Abdul-Aziz Mohammed said the two men were found on a street near a power plant in the town of Yusufiya, just south of Baghdad.
The U.S. military did not immediately confirm the report.
Pte. 1st Class Kristian Menchaca, 23, of Houston, and Pte. 1st Class Thomas L. Tucker, 25, of Madras, Ore., had been missing since an attack last Friday that killed another soldier.
The Mujahedeen Shura Council, an Iraqi militant group, said on Monday they had abducted them.
Witnesses said the American soldiers were taken Friday evening after Iraqi insurgents lured two of three U.S. military vehicles away from a checkpoint in Yusufiya, about 20 kilometres south of Baghdad.
Gunmen then attacked the remaining vehicle, killing Specialist David J. Babineau, 25, and abducting two other men, the local residents said.
The Mujahedeen Shura Council is an umbrella organization that includes several militant groups, including al-Qaeda in Iraq, whose leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. air strike earlier this month.
The group also claimed responsibility Monday for the abduction of four Russian diplomats earlier this month.
The attack occurred in a Sunni-dominated region south of the capital that is known as the Triangle of Death because of its high number of insurgent attacks.
Copyright ©2006 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - All Rights Reserved
Last Updated Tue, 20 Jun 2006 07:29:05 EDT
CBC News
The bodies of two U.S. soldiers who had been missing in Iraq since Friday have been found, an Iraqi military official said on Tuesday.
Maj. Gen. Abdul-Aziz Mohammed said the two men were found on a street near a power plant in the town of Yusufiya, just south of Baghdad.
The U.S. military did not immediately confirm the report.
Pte. 1st Class Kristian Menchaca, 23, of Houston, and Pte. 1st Class Thomas L. Tucker, 25, of Madras, Ore., had been missing since an attack last Friday that killed another soldier.
The Mujahedeen Shura Council, an Iraqi militant group, said on Monday they had abducted them.
Witnesses said the American soldiers were taken Friday evening after Iraqi insurgents lured two of three U.S. military vehicles away from a checkpoint in Yusufiya, about 20 kilometres south of Baghdad.
Gunmen then attacked the remaining vehicle, killing Specialist David J. Babineau, 25, and abducting two other men, the local residents said.
The Mujahedeen Shura Council is an umbrella organization that includes several militant groups, including al-Qaeda in Iraq, whose leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in a U.S. air strike earlier this month.
The group also claimed responsibility Monday for the abduction of four Russian diplomats earlier this month.
The attack occurred in a Sunni-dominated region south of the capital that is known as the Triangle of Death because of its high number of insurgent attacks.
Copyright ©2006 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - All Rights Reserved
- Reaction score
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- 1,060
Reuters television news service is reporting the bodies have been tortured and mutilated, so it could be a while before there is any confirmation of identification.
- Reaction score
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- Points
- 530
Yes very sad news today.
The patrol leader will be second guessing his decision to leave the TCP with only three soldiers.Also all soldiers should realize that surrender is a death sentence.The enemy cares nothing for the Geneva Convention they are terrorists.
The patrol leader will be second guessing his decision to leave the TCP with only three soldiers.Also all soldiers should realize that surrender is a death sentence.The enemy cares nothing for the Geneva Convention they are terrorists.
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