Strange dissappearance in Iraq

February 21, 2005 11:21 AM

Kirk von Ackermann mysteriously dissappearson October 9, 2003. He was working for a contracting company in iraq and had called for assistance after getting a flat tire. When help arrived, he was gone without a trace leaving behind a laptop, his satellite phone and a briefcase with $40,000 destined for Iraqi subcontractors in the back seat of his truck.

Rick Manelick, a colleague of his, had told army investigators investigating the appearance that large sums of money were being paid to an army officer in exchange for granting contracts to Ultra Services, the company they both worked for. Two months after the disappearance he was killed in a drive-by shooting a day after telling a SF Chronicle reporter "I'm in fear of my life, you know. It's not Iraqis I'm worried about, either, it's people from my own country." (Found via SojoMail, see also Topeka DIY and Time.
posted by nTeleKy (13 comments total)

Meanwhile, corruption at the top of the food chain settles to the seabed of popular consciousness.
posted by AlexReynolds at 11:25 AM on February 21, 2005

First FPP; hope this isn't too news-y, but I thought it was pretty...questionable and hadn't seen mention of it. I don't watch the news much, either, but judging by the 2 hits from google news, it looks pretty not-covered.
posted by nTeleKy at 11:26 AM on February 21, 2005

ARGH! RYAN Manelick.
posted by nTeleKy at 11:34 AM on February 21, 2005

I hate conspiracies. They always require people to act in the most stupid ways.
posted by smackfu at 11:40 AM on February 21, 2005

Where there's war, there's confusion.

And you can make a lot of money in the confusion business.
posted by jsavimbi at 11:42 AM on February 21, 2005

Great FPP nTeleky. It'll definitely give me something to waste time on for an hour or... seven.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 12:05 PM on February 21, 2005

Vast amounts of money
lawlessness
value of human life=minimal

... color me unsurprised that people are murdering for cash. Happens here all the time in an atmosphere which makes it much harder to get away with.

In any case, it's an interesting case and post, good job. #1000 in the series of awful things that happen in war.
posted by cell divide at 12:08 PM on February 21, 2005

You know Gannon's wrapped up in this.
posted by dhoyt at 12:21 PM on February 21, 2005

Just as funny and provocative as the first trough seventh times, dhoyt.
posted by bardic at 1:48 PM on February 21, 2005

Don't feed the trolls.
posted by AlexReynolds at 1:53 PM on February 21, 2005

Wasn't there some suspicion about some of those other hostage videos?
posted by destro at 2:09 PM on February 21, 2005

You mean, like the hostage video where the beheaded guy was already dead? The one where it was a toy doll? The one where the beheading happened off-screen?
posted by five fresh fish at 2:33 PM on February 21, 2005

This is why we needed HS Thompson - or others like him. Reporters should carry guns. Lots of 'em. And plastic explosive, on a hair trigger. Offense in defense of truth is no vice.
posted by Smedleyman at 2:48 PM on February 21, 2005