‘Inexcusable’: Rep. Peter King Demands Answers After Americans Detained & Held By Iraqi Forces
- Posted on December 28, 2011 at 7:15am by
Billy Hallowell
- Print »
- Email »
NEW YORK (AP) — Three security contractors including two Americans were released by Iraqi Army forces Tuesday after they were held for more than two weeks, the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security announced as he demanded a full report on the episode.
Republican Peter King identified the men as Army veteran Alex Antiohos of West Babylon, N.Y., National Guardsman Jonas March of Savannah, Georgia and Kevin Fisher of Fiji.
This image provided courtesy of the Antiohos family shows an undated photo of Army veteran Alex Antiohos of West Babylon, N.Y. Three security contractors including two Americans were released by Iraqi Army forces Tuesday Dec. 27, 2011 after they were held for more than two weeks, the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security announced as he demanded a full report on the episode. (AP Photo/Antiohos Family)
King said they were working for a security firm when Iraqi Ministry of Defense officials rejected paperwork prepared on their behalf by the Iraqi Ministry of Interior and began holding them on Dec. 9.
The men weren’t charged with any crimes and King said it appeared that the men were not injured.
He said Antiohos, who lives on Long Island, spoke to his wife Tuesday evening, and he was expected to be home later this week.
“She said he seems to be doing well,” he said.
King said they were released after efforts by his office, the State Department, the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, the Defense Department and the White House.
He said he will demand answers from the Iraqis as well from U.S. authorities about how the incident was handled after they learned about the men.
“We’re going to have thousands of contractors over there, including many Americans. Can the Iraqis just take them off the street and hold them? This is a terrible precedent. We have to get to the bottom of this,” he said.
Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.
The New York congressman said he was concerned that U.S. military authorities had not been notified by the U.S. embassy that the men were being held and that embassy representatives had not visited the men when he learned about it from Antiohos’ wife last week.
“We have to find out if there could have been better coordination between all the agencies to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again,” King said.
U.S. troops completed a full withdrawal this month after nearly nine years of war.
“This should be a bit of a wake-up call as to whether the situation really is deteriorating in Iraq,” he added. “Iraq was supposed to be an ally. We liberated Iraq. Yet they hold these men for 18 days. … It’s inexcusable that they were treated this way by a supposed ally.”
Popular Stories
Does Misstated Marathon Claim Prove Paul Ryan Is Dishonest? (POLL) 696 Comments
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 518 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 353 Comments
‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 345 Comments
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 341 Comments
Faith
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 341 Comments
Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 345 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 261 Comments- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 148 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 302 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 341 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (47)
nando nyc
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 3:25pmthis is going to happen alot more…
Report Post »flik221
Posted on December 29, 2011 at 4:50pmThe sum total of Mr. Obama’s political philosophy, the unifying theme of his presidency, amounts to this: You cannot be trusted to live as a free American.
President Obama’s first major legislative action, the failed $787 stimulus, revealed his fundamental distrust of free Americans. A president who actually trusts his people would stand aside as they freely chose how to invest their capital and their labor. Mr. Obama, on the other hand, simply doesn’t believe you are smart enough to know what’s best for you. He commandeered nearly $1 trillion dollars from the taxpayers and redirected it as he saw fit. That he squandered billions on crony boondoggles such as the Solyndra solar-panel company or laughable efforts to measure the malt-liquor habits of Buffalonians and the like is evidence merely of his incompetence. That he trusted only himself to allocate taxpayers’ money in the first place – even if he had had the capacity to do so brilliantly – is evidence of a much larger offense: This president distrusts his subjects.
Report Post »BuggiOlleo
Posted on December 29, 2011 at 11:20amSo we can hear about a Spy Drone being culled in a day, but,
‘The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2012 is a controversial bill that has been passed by both houses of Congress separately, and a final version approved by the Senate on December 15, 2011.[1][2][3] Although the White House[4] and Senate sponsors[5] maintain that the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists (AUMF) already grants presidential authority for indefinite detention, the Act legislatively codifies[6] the President’s authority to indefinitely detain terrorism suspects, including American citizens, without trial as defined in Title X, Subtitle D, SEC 1021(a-e) of the bill.[7] Because those who may be held indefinitely include U.S. citizens arrested on American soil, and because that detention may be by the military, the Act has received critical attention by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and media sources….by Wiki
not until after the NEW NDAA guidelines and budget signed by Obama .. and certified by the Houses..and ending of Iraq War..much Udo to tinker,–
tinker, tinkerers everywhere!!
I’d say this is only the beginning of a bad relationship for active and mercenary service folks..get out now while you can..the money aint good enough –but—-it does help if you can live to spend it–mercenary does mean mercenary–don’t it?
Report Post »Alvin691
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 7:08pmDid they simply apply the same law that Obama just signed, allowing the gov’t to detain citizens?
Report Post »Spyder
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 7:29pmYes they did and King just happened to vote YES for it too.
Report Post »mike san diego
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 1:23pmtouche’ and excellent point. i laughed out loud at the idea that we withdrew our troops from iraq but left behind 17,000 “contractors”. apparently halliburton prefers to have their nose in the trough indefinitely. how long will it be before we need to reinstall the troops there to “protect” the contractors?
Report Post »Spyder
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 5:44pmSo King is shocked that Iraqi forces detained Americans? Really? And yet he voted YEA for NDAA 2012, which would allow our Government to do that to its own citizens (We the People) here in the US.
http://www.votesmart.org/bill/votes/37467
Another Congressional tool trying to look like he‘s on the people’s side when is actually playing both sides.
Report Post »korbin
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 6:50pmExactly, weasels every last one of them. They make me ill.
Report Post »Lucy Larue
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 7:04pmSPYDER,
Report Post »Peter King is NOT a tool!
You base your post on his yea vote for NDAA2012?!
You have no idea. You are tres naive!
Get your learn on SPYDER. Evil existst
King is fighting it.
The truth is there. Research it DHIMMI!
KyanWan
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 7:47pm@ Lucy – Lady … you have your facts wrong on Peter King. Peter King openly supported terrorism for about 30 years. For 30 years he has been touting the heroes of the IRA. The IRA – are terrorists who have killed innocent people. What? What’s the difference? Christianity? So murder under a cross is good? Or are you just a bigot – as every last person who will even bring up that “dhimmi” word is. It’s something I never personally herd until I ran into you neocon bigots.
IMO – I’d rather see religion banned in the USA than have you whackjob evangelical christians in power. You people are deranged. Go read your fairy tales written by king whoever-he-was and leave the grown ups alone.
Report Post »Spyder
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 8:04pm@Lucy Larue
Since my first response to you got censored for some odd reason. Allow me to retort.
Evil does exist. You are correct. And the greatest evil is a person who garners the trust of the masses who elect him to office, and then betrays that trust. King vowed to uphold the Constitution the day he was sworn into office. When he voted YEA for NDAA 2012, he and every other Congressman who voted YEA committed an act of treason by breaking the oath of office and failing to defend the Constitution. Have you read about the recall vote in Montana? The reason stated by the State Legislature was that the two Senators broke their oath to uphold the Constitution.
Report Post »Look it up!!
You are the one being naive. And you will find that you are the one following the very evil you fear by defending King or any other person who breaks the oath of office and attempts to usurp our liberties.
Spyder
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 8:06pm@KyanWan
Right on!
On a side note… I like the Brony pic, /b/.
Report Post »KyanWan
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 8:13pmGotta come out into the regular world sometime. ; )
Report Post »guido.cavalcanti
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 4:32pmPoor Blackwater mercenaries, time to get a real job I guess. Or maybe they can just collect an unemployment check until our next nation building project begins, which, I‘m sure isn’t too far away.
Report Post »Ruler4You
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 5:45pmBeing an idiot, must be a full time job.
No matter who they are or who they work for, to fool yourself for one minute that Iraq has any chance of becoming a ‘democratic’ nation is delusional.
Victimizing (especially western) innocents “IS” what these people are about. It has always been that way and it always will be that way.
IMHBLO, the ONLY reason we went to war in that region was to practice for the big one. With Iran. And, it’s coming.
Report Post »rdk
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 4:09pmNuke em.
Report Post »michael6
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 3:15pmThis is the Muzzled mind, they hate the “infidel”. Mohammed commands them to. Next comes beheadings and the Jihad.
Report Post »Maxim Crux
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 2:30pmWe should probably invade Iraq. I think they have weapons of mass self destruction
Report Post »Hickory
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 12:19pmThe only way to really change a Muslim is to lower his body temperature to room temperature.
Report Post »c0mm0nsense
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 11:23amsee what happens when you dont do you homework and start typing. shame shame shame on me
Report Post »Welfare-Warfare State
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 11:23amKing is a demagogue. He has no problem with the U.S. government detaining and sometimes killing Iraqis and others without charges or trial. It’s hightime that the U.S. government consider its actions if it were done to American citizens. Oh, wait, the government just gave itself the permission to indefinitely detain U.S. citizens without trial or charges if it claims they are terrorists.
Ron Paul 2012– A constitutionalist for a change.
Report Post »ChiefGeorge
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 11:32amIsn’t Iraq still a battlefield? Maybe they figured since America is a battlefield then it would be Okey Dokey.
Report Post »guido.cavalcanti
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 4:57pm@ ChiefGeorge Maybe they should have figured how the constitution fits into all of this first, and they may have concluded The Natl. Def Auth. Act isn’t so “okey dokey” after all. But I guess as a nation we’re much too enlightened to worry about trivial things like the constitution, I mean it is only the supreme law of the land and all. Americans being indefinitely detained, Gee, I can’t see anything ever going wrong with that.
Report Post »c0mm0nsense
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 11:22amopps, he voted against the dam bill. Boy does that hurt. ouch!
Report Post »Crazy Times
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 2:19pmif YOU let yourself, they hurt themselves. SO YOU MUCH BE IN MUCH PAIN RIGHT NOW. So there really no reason to respond to him. What really nice is the more you ignore them the more they think they have to type. The more the type the more of this we get. Win Win for Paul
Plus YOUR spelling is atrocious. YOUR words, not mine.
I really enjoy a good debate, however, when a person starts off as “your a troll” < not much room for debate buddy.
I would suggest to wise your friends up on COMMON ground, start off being a strong character, and not character assassination.
BTW, you might want to invest in some english learin' yourself, but i bet you ain't gonna do it.
Report Post »Delores at CH WV
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 10:48amIraq is a good example: Do not nation build or try to help people to obtain freedom. There is No freedom in a Muslim World except the elitist, educated leaders who use their religion to enforce slavery against uneducated men, women, and children. Who ends up with bombs strapped to themselves, the leaders or the sheep?
Report Post »rclay36
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 10:42amYou better get those Civilian Contractors and Dept of State Employees out of Iraq. I was in Iraq from 2003 – 2009. Was wounded twice. I was appointed by Bush to be a Senior Deputy Adviser to the CPA. I know Iraq and now that we have NO leverage with the Iraqi’s with ALL our troops out of Iraq we can not protect American Citizens and our diplomats are in danger. The U.S. Embassy is huge but there is no QRF (Quick Reaction Force) in Iraq to protect them or evacuate them. Obama has failed us and Iraq. The Iraqi politicians will fail the Iraqi people. It is only a matter of time before things get out of hand. Our people are in danger with little or no support. My prayers go out to them daily.
Rick Clay
Report Post »304-550-7970
Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 9:45amObama may as well have orphaned thousands of American military children by his own hand. Millions stand to die from the actions and encouragement obama has aided and abetted to the enemy.
Report Post »KyanWan
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 7:51pm(?)
I hate Obama as much as the next guy, never voted for him either. I don’t see how the wars stared by our last president really have anything to do with Obama. If there’s one thing he can LEGITIMATELY pass back, it‘s Bush’s revenge wars & oil grabs.
If there’s a WW3 thanks to Israel attacking Iran – I wouldn’t blame that on Obama either – I’d slap that squarely on our “ally” Israel. ( No, really, why does an “ally” feel the need to spy on us? Right now, as I write this. )
Report Post »Spyder
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 8:38pm@Ghandi was (NOT) a Republican (Or an American voter for that matter)
So we should leave our troops there to die instead? Not a chance. Obummer at least did one thing right. ONE. Now we need Ron Paul to get us out of everywhere else and stop all the wars, police actions and occupations of other sovereign nations.
And who told you that Iraq was in the hands of Iran? The Media? The same media that fabricates stories all the time to sway people’s opinion on controversial matters? All of that is just setting up excuses for the Elite Establishment to invade another sovereign nation when the need for the excuse arises.
Report Post »classicalgas
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 9:37amThis is what is coming to America – holding citizens indefinitely for “suspicions.”
Wake up America!
Report Post »Spyder
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 8:49pmCorrect!! The law has already been passed. It’s called National Defense Act of 2012 (NDAA 2012) and it allows for the indefinite detainment of US citizens by the government without access to lawyer or trial. It is Treasonous and completely counter to our Constitution. Be afraid.
RON PAUL 2012
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 9:03amGet everybody out, and let em kill each otber…. They’ve been doin it for centuries !
Report Post »yougottabekidding
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 9:38amTo start with the Iraqis should have been paying for all the protection they were getting. At a minimum the costs incured by the Military and the on going cost to our wounded heros.
Report Post »And I agree with the original premis, get out leave them develop another Hussain – we did!
Spyder
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 8:42pm@Detroit Paperboy
Agreed!! They can handle their own affairs by whatever means compels them, as long as they keep it to themselves and leave the rest of the world out of it.
RON PAUL 2012
Report Post »JLGunner
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 8:59amWhy would this shock anyone?!?!?! If you stay in Iraq for any reason and you find yourself in harms way, it’s your own fault. We aren’t leaving there in victory, we never went in with the intent of being victoreous. Wake up and smell the waste of American lives.
Report Post »4truth2all
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 10:09amYeah really …like these people are now going to be our best buddies … how stupid is that.
Report Post »I don’t know how much good all this did … makes me wonder…
Jenny Lind
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 8:52amI really like this guy, he doesn’t seem to want to put up with garbage from any of the muslim front.
Report Post »JLGunner
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 9:00amWords are wonderful, actions are a totally different animal.
Report Post »str8blues
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 8:51amIts sad to think that we handed Obama VICTORY on a silver platter and because of political reasons he may well have destroyed all efforts made by American troops over the past 9 years. I expect it will be no time at all and Iraq will fall in the hands of a dictator and the executions of innocent Iraqi people will begin. Probably starting with the police and military and their families and then those identified by having voted. Obama will have blood on his hands……and his hands alone! Shouldn’t bother him…..he‘s already got blood on his hands from Fast and Furious and that doesn’t bother him AT ALL.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 10:26amIran will annex Iraq very shortly. Depending on how the planners in Iran feel; this will be before or after our elections. Watch: which way will be more beneficial to Iran? potus reelected or a new President ?
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 8:48amI hope all these American contractors in the mid east are being paid very well. You couldn’t pay me enough to work there.
Report Post »ThoreauHD
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 8:44amYou removed all of your soldiers. Iraq is now in the hands of Iran. Don‘t start crying because you aren’t welcome by islamic jihadists.
Let me send a message to anyone still left in Iraq for any reason whatsoever. If you are not a muslim- leave now. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what happens next.
Report Post »KyanWan
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 7:58pmI‘m sure the same thing you’d have happen here in the USA if you got to put your silly cross up on top of the Capitol Building & White House.
Amirite? ; )
Report Post »SamIamTwo
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 8:37amPfffFt
They can’t get to the bottom of anything.
Report Post »AJAYW
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 8:32amThe Iraqi Forces are showing obama that hes not in charge and needs to be in his proper place =a follower not a leader
Report Post »