[Vision2020] Iraqi Colonel Flees Alabama Air Force Base

[Tom Hansen]

>From today's (March 22, 2007) Roundup Edition of the Army Times -

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Iraqi colonel flees Alabama air force base

By Seamus O'Connor - Army Times Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Mar 22, 2007 19:47:17 EDT

An Iraqi air force colonel who fled from Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., where
he was in training, is the subject of a wide-reaching manhunt, according to
federal officials.

The officer has not been identified, and officials at U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE) could not confirm when he first went missing.

Officials at Maxwell referred all questions to ICE.

"ICE has joined the investigation into the whereabouts of an Iraqi military
student, and his wife and two young children who disappeared while attending
a U.S. Department of Defense training course in Alabama," Richard Rocha, a
spokesman for ICE," said in a statement. "Now ICE is working with our
international and national law enforcement counterparts, and does not
suspect foul play in the disappearances. Furthermore, there is no indication
that this case is a national security or public safety concern."

Rocha said officials would not discuss specifics of the ongoing
investigation.

The Washington (D.C.) Times reported March 22 that the colonel left a note
saying he did not want to return to Iraq. Officials quoted in the Times
report said they suspected the man was possibly headed for Mexico.

Air University at Maxwell trains hundreds of Iraqi officers as part of the
effort to rebuild the decimated Iraqi air force. The branch was strong under
Saddam Hussein's rule but now consists of fewer than 1,000 airmen.

The Iraqi air force has no attack aircraft, but it does possess numerous
transport helicopters and cargo and personnel planes, including C-130s.

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Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"As more and more heathens 'choose' to not have children the number of Godly
souls will increase. If the number of Christian births out number the number
of Islamic births the battle will be over in 3 or 4 generations."

- Doug "No-Clue" Farris (March 10, 2007)