Roy Hallums
Encyclopedia
Roy Hallums is an American
contractor
who was kidnapped in Iraq
on November 1, 2004. He was held in Iraq for 311 days and freed on September 7, 2005.
d in 2003 but remained good friends.
Hallums had been working in Saudi Arabia
since 1993 and eventually came to work for the Saudi Arabian Trading and Construction Co. After the outbreak of war with Iraq
, Hallums went to Baghdad
, where his company provided food for the Iraqi Army
. Now after being released from his captives, he has settled down in Memphis.
of Baghdad. Hallums was taken hostage along with Roberto Tarongoy of the Philippines
, Inus Dewari of Nepal
, and three Iraqis. Dewari and the Iraqis were released soon after their abduction.
On December 18, American diplomats identified Hallums as the American kidnapped on November 1. His family had pleaded for his release weeks before, however, and Hallums had been identified on several websites. Hallums recounted that the Jawa Report
was where his wife Susan first saw his name mentioned in public.
His daughter Carrie Anne Cooper soon set up a website http://royhallums.4t.com/ asking for Hallums' release. His family also appealed for his release on Al Jazeera
.
A videotape
of Hallums was released by insurgents on January 25, 2005. It is unclear when the tape was made. Hallums had a long beard, and was seated with a gun pointed at his head. "I have been arrested by a resistance group in Iraq," Hallums said. "I am asking for help because my life is in danger, because it has been proved that I work for American forces."
Hallums did not appeal to American President Bush
but did to Libya
n president Muammar al-Gaddafi
to help earn his release. Gaddafi later called for Hallum's release.
Roberto Tarongoy was freed on June 23, 2005. Tarongoy said that he thought Hallums was still alive, and said the kidnappers demanded $12 million.
Altogether, Roy Hallums had been captive ten months and seven days. He said that he had been bound and gagged for much of the time, but doctors described him as being in "good health". After his release, he called his daughter and identified himself by saying "This is Dad."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
who was kidnapped in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
on November 1, 2004. He was held in Iraq for 311 days and freed on September 7, 2005.
Life
Hallums grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1971, he married Susan Hallums, and they had a daughter, Carrie Anne. The couple divorceDivorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d in 2003 but remained good friends.
Hallums had been working in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
since 1993 and eventually came to work for the Saudi Arabian Trading and Construction Co. After the outbreak of war with Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
, Hallums went to Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, where his company provided food for the Iraqi Army
Iraqi Army
The Iraqi Army is the land component of the Iraqi military, active in various forms since being formed by the British during their mandate over the country after World War I....
. Now after being released from his captives, he has settled down in Memphis.
Captivity
On November 1, 2004, twenty gunmen stormed the compound where Hallums and his colleagues were working, in the upscale Mansour districtMansour district
Al Mansour district is one of nine administrative districts in Baghdad, Iraq. It is named after Abu Ja'far al-Mansur, the second Abbasid Caliph and founder of Baghdad....
of Baghdad. Hallums was taken hostage along with Roberto Tarongoy of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Inus Dewari of Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, and three Iraqis. Dewari and the Iraqis were released soon after their abduction.
On December 18, American diplomats identified Hallums as the American kidnapped on November 1. His family had pleaded for his release weeks before, however, and Hallums had been identified on several websites. Hallums recounted that the Jawa Report
Jawa Report
The Jawa Report is a blog and forum about terrorism committed by Islamists.The Boston Globe describes it as a "popular" website "that monitors terrorism investigations." The New York Times reports that its volunteers "research Web sites they believe are tied to Al-Qaeda or other militant groups,...
was where his wife Susan first saw his name mentioned in public.
His daughter Carrie Anne Cooper soon set up a website http://royhallums.4t.com/ asking for Hallums' release. His family also appealed for his release on Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
.
A videotape
Videotape
A videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to film stock or random access digital media. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram...
of Hallums was released by insurgents on January 25, 2005. It is unclear when the tape was made. Hallums had a long beard, and was seated with a gun pointed at his head. "I have been arrested by a resistance group in Iraq," Hallums said. "I am asking for help because my life is in danger, because it has been proved that I work for American forces."
Hallums did not appeal to American President Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
but did to Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
n president Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar al-Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
to help earn his release. Gaddafi later called for Hallum's release.
Roberto Tarongoy was freed on June 23, 2005. Tarongoy said that he thought Hallums was still alive, and said the kidnappers demanded $12 million.
Liberation
Hallums was freed on September 7, 2005, along with an Iraqi captive, when members of the U.S. Army's Delta Force raided a farmhouse 15 miles south of Baghdad. The location was apparently given by an Iraqi detainee. When coalition troops arrived, the kidnappers had fled.Altogether, Roy Hallums had been captive ten months and seven days. He said that he had been bound and gagged for much of the time, but doctors described him as being in "good health". After his release, he called his daughter and identified himself by saying "This is Dad."
Book
- Hallums, Roy. Buried Alive: The True Story of Kidnapping, Captivity, and a Dramatic Rescue. New York: Thomas Nelson, 2010. ISBN 1595551700.