American Civilians Killed in Iraq, Afghanistan, January 2001 to December 2007
INTELWIRE filed a FOIA request for any records concerning non-military American citizens killed in Iraq and Afghanistan from January 1, 2001 to December 2007. The State Department said it found nine documents, consisting of 17 pages, which are linked below. The State Department said it was not withholding any documents, although some of the released documents were redacted.
Despite the State Department's claim that these are the only documents it could locate, none of the documents refer to American citizen Nicholas Berg, the most famous American civilian casualty in Iraq, who was killed by Al Qaeda in Iraq head Abu Musab Al Zarqawi.
Due to this glaring inconsistency, INTELWIRE believes this request has not received an adequate search nor a satisfactory response. An appeal is in process. In the meantime, the released documents may be viewed below.
American civilians killed in Iraq, Afghanistan, 1/2001 to 12/2007One point of special interest in the released documents concerned Hector Patino, of San Antonio, Texas, who was killed in an apparent friendly fire incident in January 2007. Family members have
raised questions about the official account of Patino's killing.
Reports stated Patino was driving a truck when Australian coalition military guards ordered him to stop in the vicinity of a checkpoint. He did not stop, for reasons unknown, and the soldiers shot and killed him.
The document released to INTELWIRE has one key difference from the official report. According to a State Department cable dated Jan. 17, 2007, "
Australian and U.S. military guards ... shot and killed Patino."
As an early report, the cable may simply have erred in stating that U.S. soldiers were involved in the incident. INTELWIRE makes no special claims about the veracity of either account, but offers the document for those who may wish to investigate further.
1/17/2007: State Department cable, death of Hector PatinoLabels: Afghanistan, American-Jihadists, Iraq
Aafia Siddiqui Psychiatric and Medical Reports
9/3/2008: Letter to the court describing Aafia Siddiqui arrest and treatment in detention, injuries, strip-search issues9/11/2008: Psychiatric Evaluation of Aafia SiddiquiThe psychiatric evaluation evaluated Siddiqui as having an Axis I diagnosis of Depressive Type Psychosis, which can involve suicidal thoughts and behavior, confusion and delusions. The diagnosis has some history in arguments over whether a defendant is competent to stand trial.
Video of Aafia Siddiqui interrogation (offsite)Labels: Aafia-Siddiqui, American-Jihadists
Aafia Siddiqui Indictment
The Justice Department indicted alleged al Qaeda member Aafia Siddiqui in New York yesterday. According to the indictment, she was carrying handwritten notes on a "mass casualty attack" at the time of her arrest, including notes on chemical and radioactive dispersal devices (dirty bombs), along with photos of U.S. landmarks (including the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and more).
She was also carrying a thumb drive with "correspondence that referred to specific 'cells' and 'attacks' by certain 'cells.' Other documents referred to 'enemies,' including the United States, and discussed recruitment and training."
Indictment of Aafia SiddiquiLabels: Aafia-Siddiqui, American-Jihadists
