Incident Summary:
04/09/2004: On a highway west of Baghdad, Iraq, a convoy on U.S. contractors was ambushed by Mujahidin Group members, who fired on the trucks with automatic weapons and grenade launchers. Seven people were killed while Thomas Hamill and Spc. Keith M. Maupin, were taken hostage. The insurgents demanded that the US remove their soldiers from the area or they would mutilate and behead the hostages. Hamill was in captivity for about three weeks when he managed to escape on May 2, 2004. Maupin was shot in the back of the head by his masked captors on Arabic television on June 29, 2004. In 2009 an unnamed al Qaida leader reportedly confessed to killing Maupin.
Overview
GTD ID:
200404090004
When:
2004-04-09
Country:
Iraq
Region:
Middle East & North Africa
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Al Anbar
City:
Abu Ghraib
Location Details:
This incident occurred west of Baghdad on a highway right near the Abu Ghraib prison.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Armed Assault |
Type of Attack () |
Hostage Taking (Kidnapping) |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Business |
Name of Entity |
US Utilities |
Specific Description |
Kellogg Brown & Root Fuel Convoy |
Nationality of Target |
United States |
Target Type: Private Citizens & Property |
Name of Entity |
Civilians |
Specific Description |
Thomas Hamill and Spc. Keith M. Maupin |
Nationality of Target |
United States |
Additional Information
Hostages |
Yes |
Number of Hostages |
2 |
US Hostages |
2 |
Days of Kidnapping |
50 |
Outcome |
Combination |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
Yes |
Extent of Property Damage |
Unknown |
Value of Property Damage |
Unknown |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Firearms |
Automatic Weapon |
Explosives |
Projectile (rockets, mortars, RPGs, etc.) |
Melee |
Hands, Feet, Fists |
Weapon Details |
The perpetrators used automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenade launchers to take over the convoy. Mr. Hamill was shot in the forearm (possibly by a handgun), beatened, and threatened with a knife. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Who
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name |
Claimed Responsibility |
Al-Qaida |
No |
Mujahedeen Group |
Yes (Confirmed: Unknown; Mode: Video) |
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
Unknown |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
8 Fatalities |
Total Number of Fatalities |
8 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
Unknown |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
Unknown |
Number of U.S. Injured |
1 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
Unknown |
Sources
Sources
Sewell Chan, "For US Hostage, Timing Was Everything," The Washington Post, May 4, 2004. |
Robert Reid, "Militants kill U.S. soldier held captive since April; three Turks freed," Associated Press, June 29, 2004. |
"Iraqi Group Releases Videotape of Held American, Makes Demands," Al-Jazirah Satellite Channel Television, April 10, 2004. |
Criteria
Criteria 1
The act must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal. In terms of economic goals, the exclusive pursuit of profit does not satisfy this criterion. It must involve the pursuit of more profound, systemic economic change.
Criterion 2
There must be evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) than the immediate victims. It is the act taken as a totality that is considered, irrespective if every individual involved in carrying out the act was aware of this intention. As long as any of the planners or decision-makers behind the attack intended to coerce, intimidate or publicize, the intentionality criterion is met.
Criterion 3
The action must be outside the context of legitimate warfare activities. That is, the act must be outside the parameters permitted by international humanitarian law (particularly the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians or non-combatants.
Doubt Terrorism Proper
The existence of a "Yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper?" records reservation, in the eyes of GTD analysts, that the incident in question is truly terrorism. Such uncertainty, however, was not deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the incident from inclusion into the GTD. Furthermore, such a determination of doubt is subsequently coded by GTD analysts as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Alternate Designation
The determination of "yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper" by GTD analysts is coded as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Successful Attack
Success of a terrorist strike is defined according to the tangible effects of the attack. For example, in a typical successful bombing, the bomb detonates and destroys property and/or kills individuals, whereas an unsuccessful bombing is one in which the bomb is discovered and defused or detonates early and kills the perpetrators. Success is not judged in terms of the larger goals of the perpetrators. For example, a bomb that exploded in a building would be counted as a success even if it did not, for example, succeed in bringing the building down or inducing government repression.
Type of Attack
This field captures the general method of attack and often reflects the broad class of tactics used. It consists of the following nine categories:
- Assassination
- Armed Assault
- Unarmed Assault
- Bombing/Explosion
- Hijacking
- Hostage taking (Barricade Incident)
- Hostage taking (Kidnapping)
- Facility / Infrastructure Attack
- Unknown
Target Information
This field captures the general type of target. It consists of the following 22 categories:
- Abortion Related
- Airports & Airlines
- Business
- Government (General)
- Government (Diplomatic)
- Educational Institution
- Food or Water Supply
- Journalists & Media
- Maritime (includes Ports and Maritime facilities)
- Military
- NGO
- Other
- Police
- Private Citizens & Property
- Religious Figures/Institutions
- Telecommunication
- Terrorists
- Tourists
- Transportation (other than aviation)
- Unknown
- Utilities
- Violent Political Parties