View source for May 2007 abduction of United States soldiers in Iraq

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[[Image:May 2007 soldier kidnappings ID cards.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.3|Iraqi insurgents released images of the [[Common Access Card]]s of two of the soldiers in early June 2007<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/06/16/iraq.main/index.html | work=CNN | title=Troops find missing U.S. soldiers' ID cards - CNN.com | accessdate=May 12, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/06/04/missing.soldiers/index.html | work=CNN | title=ID cards of missing soldiers shown on insurgent Web site - CNN.com | accessdate=May 12, 2010}}</ref>]]
The '''May 2007 abduction of American  soldiers in Iraq''' occurred when [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011)|Iraqi insurgents]] attacked a military outpost in Al Taqa, [[Iraq]], killing four U.S. Army soldiers and an Iraqi soldier before capturing [[Private (rank)|Private]] '''Byron Wayne Fouty''', [[Specialist (rank)|Specialist]] '''Alex Ramon Jimenez''', and [[Private first class|Private First Class]] '''Joseph John Anzack Jr.''' on May 12, 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna18695899|work=NBC News|title=Fort Drum recalls missing, dead soldiers}}</ref>
== Background ==
In March 2003, the [[United States]], [[United Kingdom]], [[Australia]], and [[Poland]] had [[2003 invasion of Iraq|invaded]] [[Ba'athist Iraq|Iraq]] to depose its [[Ba'ath Party (Iraqi-dominated faction)|Ba'ath Party government]] led by [[Saddam Hussein]], and, when that was accomplished, in May 2003 decided to stay on in Iraq to [[2003 invasion of Iraq#Bush declares "End of major combat operations" (May 2003)|"bring order to parts of that country that remain[ed] dangerous"]].<ref name=Bush1-5-2003>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/text-of-bush-speech-01-05-2003/ |title=Text of Bush Speech |agency=Associated Press |date=1 May 2003 |access-date=21 July 2006 |work=CBS News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412050435/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/05/01/iraq/main551946.shtml |archive-date=12 April 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Even in [[History of Iraq (2003–11)#2006|2006]] and
[[2007 in Iraq|2007]], the new Iraqi governments, installed in [[History of Iraq (2003–11)#Transfer of sovereignty|June 2004]] and [[Nouri al-Maliki#Premiership|May 2006]] and [[History of Iraq (2003–11)#2006|supported by U.S. and British forces]], were still facing [[History of Iraq (2003–11)#2006|strong domestic and terrorist opposition]], from groups whose identity was not always certain.
[[Islamic State of Iraq]] (ISI) was a [[Sunni Islam]]ic militant group that in 2003–2004, under an earlier name, had chosen as killing targets [[Shia Islam]]ic mosques and civilians, Iraqi government institutions, and the U.S.-led [[Multi-National Force – Iraq|Multi-National Force in Iraq]].
The U.S. 4th Battalion, [[31st Infantry Regiment (United States)|31st Infantry Regiment]], [[2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (United States)|2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division]], arrived in [[Iraq]] in September 2006, had until May 2007 already lost 18 of its members killed in action, and was living in Iraq under hard conditions,<ref name=la19-7-07>{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-jul-19-fg-search19-story.html | work=Los Angeles Times | title=Search for U.S. soldiers, answers after May attack | first=Tina | last=Susman | date=19 July 2007 | access-date=8 December 2014}}</ref> when it was, in May 2007, charged with a military observation post outside [[Mahmoudiyah, Iraq|Mahmudiyah]] in the notoriously dangerous area known as the [[Triangle of Death (Iraq)|Triangle of Death]], south of [[Baghdad]].<ref name = 9Mile>{{cite news| url=http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/05/21/iraq.main/index.html | work=Cable News Network | title=Search for U.S. soldiers targets 9-mile radius | date=21 May 2007 | accessdate=8 December 2014}}</ref>
== Attack on U.S. military post ==
On the night of 11–12 May 2007,<ref name=la19-7-07/> the aforesaid U.S. military observation post near Mahmoudiyah,<ref name = 9Mile/> with two armored [[Humvee]]s,<ref name=SA4Oct08>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081006000442/http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/Family_fears_son_knew_real_horror_of_war.html ‘Family fears son knew real horror of war’]. ''My San Antonio'', 4 October 2008. Retrieved 7 December 2014.</ref> 165 feet apart and facing in opposite, outward, directions,
each with four soldiers, seven of them U.S., one Iraqi soldier, sat guard,<ref name=la19-7-07/>
looking for insurgents planting explosives,<ref name=SA4Oct08/>
and was ambushed<ref name=SA4Oct08/> and attacked<ref name=Army11-7-08>[http://www.army.mil/article/10825/Missing_Soldiers_To_Be_Returned_Home/ ‘Missing Soldiers To Be Returned Home’]. ''www.army.mil'', 11 July 2008. Retrieved 9 December 2014.</ref> by a group<ref name=SA4Oct08/> using automatic weapons and explosives.<ref name=Army11-7-08/> Initial reporting stated that PFC Murphy was wounded but survived the initial attack along with the other three captured soldiers, but refusing to surrender and continued struggling upon attempted capture, was executed on the spot by the attackers.
== Casualties and abductions ==
[[File:PVT Joseph J. Anzack, Jr., USA.jpg|thumb|upright|Private First Class Joseph John Anzack Jr., one of the captured soldiers.]]
Four U.S. Army soldiers<ref name=SA4Oct08/> and the Iraqi soldier<ref name=la19-7-07/>-interpreter<ref name=SA4Oct08/> were killed:
:[[Sergeant first class|SFC]] James David Connell Jr., aged 40;
:[[Private first class|PFC]] Daniel Weston Courneya, aged 19;
:[[Private first class|PFC]] Christopher Edward Murphy, aged 21;
:[[Sergeant|SGT]] Anthony Jason Schober, aged 23.<ref name=nbc16May07>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna18695899|work=NBCNews|title=Fort Drum recalls missing, dead soldiers|date=16 May 2007| access-date=10 December 2014}}</ref>
Three U.S. soldiers were abducted<ref name = 2o3ABCNews>[https://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=3192089 ABC News: 2 of 3 Missing U.S. Soldiers May Be Alive]. ''ABCNews'', 19 May 2007. Retrieved 6 December 2014.</ref>/captured:<ref name=Army11-7-08/>
:[[Private (rank)|PVT]] Byron Wayne Fouty, aged 19.
:[[Specialist (rank)|SPC]] Alex Ramon Jimenez, aged 25; and
:[[Private first class|PFC]] Joseph John Anzack Jr., aged 20;<ref name=Army11-7-08/><ref name=nbc16May07/><ref name = 2o3ABCNews/>
== Claim by ''Islamic State of Iraq'' ==
[[File:Four US Soldiers.jpg|thumb|right|A U.S. contractor and her dog search for Private Byron Wayne Fouty, Specialist Alex Ramon Jimenez, Private First Class Joseph John Anzack after their capture.]]
* Before 19 May 2007, 'an al Qaeda-affiliated group' claimed to be holding Anzack, Jimenez and Fouty, says ABC News;<ref name = 2o3ABCNews/>
* at unspecified moment, [[Islamic State of Iraq]] (ISI), a group that includes [[Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn]] (often referred to as "al-Qaida in Iraq" or AQI) claimed the May 12 ambush, says CNN;<ref name=cnn4-6-07>{{cite news| url=http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/06/04/missing.soldiers/index.html | work=CNN | title=ID cards of missing soldiers shown on insurgent Web site | accessdate=10 December 2014|date=4 June 2007}}</ref>
* 'a group with reported ties to al-Qaida' at unspecified moment claimed responsibility for the May 12 ambush, says website mysanantonio.<ref name=SA4Oct08/>
== Search for soldiers; Anzack dead ==
4,000<ref name=Denver20-5-07>{{cite news| url=http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_5938597 | work=Denver Post | title=4,000 troops broaden hunt for captured U.S. soldiers | date=20 May 2007| accessdate=8 December 2014}}</ref> U.S. Army troops started searching for the three captured soldiers, and searched in Iraqi homes.<ref name=nbc16May07/>
On 19 May they raided a building in [[Al-A'amiriya|Amiriyah]],<ref name=Denver20-5-07/> 25 miles from the place of the ambush,<ref name = 2o3ABCNews/> and arrested nine suspects.<ref name = 2o3ABCNews/><ref name=Denver20-5-07/>
Before 21 May, Iraqi forces rounded up 250 people as part of the search, 15 of them were processed into U.S. detention facilities, the rest into Iraqi detention.<ref name = 9Mile/>
At a not specified moment, [[Islamic State of Iraq]] (ISI) called on the U.S. military to halt its search for the missing soldiers.<ref name=cnn4-6-07/>
On 23 May, Anzack's body was pulled out of the [[Euphrates]] River,<ref name=cnn17-6-07>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/06/16/iraq.main/index.html | work=CNN | title=Troops find missing U.S. soldiers' ID cards  |date=17 June 2007| accessdate=10 December 2014}}</ref> with a gunshot wound in the head.<ref name=SA4Oct08/>
== ISI video proving involvement ==
On 4 June 2007, [[Islamic State of Iraq]] (ISI) posted a 10-minute video on Internet.<ref name=cnn4-6-07/> It shows footage of what appears to be the planning stage of the 12 May attack and of apparently the attack itself; a recorded broadcast of TV network Al-Jazeera of soldiers searching fields; and it contains an audio commentary in Arabic, saying: '' "We decided to put an end to this matter and announce the death of the soldiers" '' purportedly because the U.S. military did not heed their demand to end the search for the soldiers. The video shows the photos of the military identification cards of Jimenez and Fouty, with above the photos written in Arabic: '' "[[George W. Bush|Bush]] is the reason for the loss of your prisoners"'',<ref name=cnn4-6-07/>
and also shows credit cards and other personal items of them, while a voice says: ''"They were alive and then dead"''.<ref name=USA5-6-07>{{cite news| url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-06-04-video-missing-soldiers_N.htm| work=USA Today | title=Video: Missing soldiers killed; search to continue | date=June 5, 2007 | accessdate=7 December 2014}}</ref>
On 9 June 2007, [[Multi-National Force – Iraq|coalition]] forces raided a suspected "[[Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn|al-Qaida in Iraq]]" (AQI) house near [[Samarra]] (125&nbsp;km north of [[Baghdad]]) and discovered those ID cards of Jimenez and Fouty.<ref name=cnn17-6-07/>
== Bodies of Fouty and Jimenez found ==
Over a year later, on 9 July 2008,<ref name=Army11-7-08/> a suspect led authorities to the shallow grave of Jimenez and Fouty,<ref name=SA4Oct08/> 20&nbsp;km (12.5 miles) south of the ambush site.<ref name=CNN22-3-09>{{Cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/03/22/iraq.us.complaint/ |title=U.S. files complaint against suspects in '07 Iraq ambush |date=March 22, 2009|accessdate=7 December 2014|work=Cable News Network}}</ref>
Their remains were flown to the U.S.<ref name=SA4Oct08/>
On 10 July, the Armed Forces Medical Examiner (AFMES) identified them as Jimenez and Fouty.<ref name=Army11-7-08/>
The official AFMES autopsy reports of Byron W. Fouty, issued September 2008, suggest that Fouty had been tortured over a period of four months, from May to September 2007, before being murdered.<ref name=SA4Oct08/>
== See also ==
* [[Ahmed Kousay al-Taie]], a U.S. Army soldier who was captured by Iraqi insurgents and executed
* [[Wassef Ali Hassoun]], a U.S. Marine who claimed to be captured by Iraqi insurgents; later discovered to be a hoax
* [[United States prisoners of war in the 2003 invasion of Iraq]]
* [[2004 Iraq KBR convoy ambush]], capture and execution of Keith Matthew Maupin, a U.S. Army soldier
* [[June 2006 abduction of United States soldiers in Iraq]], capture and execution of Kristian Menchaca and Thomas L. Tucker, two U.S. Army soldiers
* [[Karbala provincial headquarters raid]], capture and execution of Brian Freeman, Jacob Fritz, Jonathan Chism and Shawn Falter, four U.S. Army soldiers
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:2007 crimes in Iraq]]
[[Category:Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011)]]
[[Category:Kidnappings in Iraq]]
[[Category:Kidnapping in the 2000s]]
[[Category:United States in the Iraq War]]
[[Category:Torture in the Iraq War]]
[[Category:Baghdad Governorate in the Iraq War]]
[[Category:May 2007 events in Iraq]]
[[Category:Ambushes of the Iraq War]]