Army identifies remains of last missing soldier in Iraq
The remains of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ahmed Altaie, the last U.S. servicemember unaccounted for from operations in Iraq, have been positively identified at the U.S. military's mortuary in Dover, Del., officials announced Sunday.
Altaie, a 41-year-old interpreter, was abducted by militiamen on Oct. 23, 2006, after sneaking outside the wire to meet with his Iraqi wife. Coalition soldiers later conducted more than 50 raids in an attempt to find him.
According to a relative, a military officer who visited the family's home offered few details, but did say that the remains arrived at Dover Feb. 22.
In a Feb. 16 Stars and Stripes story, the missing soldier's brother, Hathal, complained that the government was not providing answers. “We need to know the truth,” he said. “Some say he’s in Iran. Some say he’s dead. At least they could find out if he’s alive or not.”
The Associated Press story about the identification of the missing soldier's remains.
