Alex Antiohos (credit: Family Handout)
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — A security contractor from Long Island who was held in Iraq for 18 days said Friday he is happy to be home and hopes there is an investigation into his detention.
“It could potentially occur again,” said Army veteran Alex Antiohos, of West Babylon. “There probably should be an investigation in Congress to ensure that government agencies are taking the necessary steps to prevent it.”
Antiohos got home to West Babylon on Thursday after being detained in Iraq from Dec. 9 to 27. He spoke with 1010 WINS on Friday and described the circumstances surrounding the detention.
“We were essentially moving a convoy from one location to another, stopped at a checkpoint and asked to provide documentation with regard to what we were hauling. When we provided that documentation, we were told that there were inaccuracies. And as a result of that, we were detained,” he said.
Antiohos, National Guardsman Jonas March of Savannah, Ga., and Kevin Fisher of Fiji were working for a security firm in Iraq when Ministry of Defense officials rejected their paperwork and began holding them.
“We were not charged with a crime and we did not know if and when we’d be released,” Antiohos said.
Antiohos also appeared Friday at a news conference with Republican Rep. Peter King, who is chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.
King said he would demand answers from the Iraqis as well as U.S. authorities about how the incident was handled.
“We can’t allow this to happen to any other Americans,” King said.
“I’m thrilled. I’m excited to be home, I’m happy to be home and I can’t wait to ring in the New Year and hopefully I can put this episode behind me and start fresh,” Antiohos said.
What can the government do to prevent the detention of contractors in the future? Share your thoughts in the comments section…
(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
5 Comments
I was detained in the same manner as Alex on Dec. 3rd in the city of Al Khalis. However we were released on the 6th. This time it was the Iraqi police who said our papers from the MOI were wrong. We were providing security for a convoy which was hauling 5 armored vehicles that belonged to the Department of State. The Iraqis seized all 5 vehicles and never returned them.
January 5, 2012 at 2:02 pm
We can prevent this from happening again We need to bring everyone home and let the Iraqi s figure things out by themselves If the can, then great,, if not too bad so sad……they were in existence long long before we were……
December 30, 2011 at 6:41 pm
I am happy you made it back ok,but you have to realize you are in another country .
You or the U.S. can not control what happens. It is what it is…
December 30, 2011 at 4:41 pm
In case you have not realized it,we at at another countries mercy when we are there.
You can never count on what will be done to you are said about you.
Maybe it is a go at your own risk and pray nothing happens.
December 30, 2011 at 4:39 pm
Welcome home Alex. I’m glad your safe and sound in the good old USA. Now for us having anything to do with the Middle East comes down to one thing,OIL, and you mean that in the 21st century we can’t come up with an alternative to oil. don’t we have oil as well as a good supply of coal in this country? What we need is another Thomas Edison that can work wonders in this century.
December 30, 2011 at 3:56 pm