Report: Hundreds of Americans Besieged by Terrorists at Air Force Base in Iraq
As the Al Qaeda aligned ISIS jihadists roll on towards Baghdad, there are reports that at least 200 Americans were trapped and surrounded at the Belad Air Force Base. An anonymous contractor claiming to be among the besieged U.S. citizens posted this call for help on CNN’s “IReport” website yesterday:
I am writing from ballad Iraq as a employee of sallyport, ksillc..there are approx 500 US citizens on balad air base north of Baghdad trapped..we are part of a little known F16 iraq support mission here…The company has reportedly for the last 3 days to fly us out, we are now all herded into a central location on base..and being told nothing..The clint lockheed martin, DoS and most women have already been evacuated days ago but we are all still here. I hope this message is received by someone that can break this as headline news to bring attention to the situation for us..we are all worried and in dire straight as last security Intel reports Isis elements around us..
This message on the front page of the contracting company seems to verify that there are still employees in Iraq, though in “safe sites” in the region:
At this time all Sallyport employees operating in Iraq are operating at secure locations in the country or have been relocated to safe sites in the region. Our first priority is the safety and security of our personnel.
Another report from WND relays information from an anonymous contractor from the base who contacted them saying there are still many awaiting an airlift from Iraq:
A U.S. contractor in Iraq told WND the Iraqi Air Force has begun evacuations from Balad Air Force Base, where 200 American contractors were trapped by the al-Qaida-inspired jihadists who have seized control of two cities and are now threatening Baghdad.
A contractor with Sallyport Global, who asked not to be named, told WND through a Skype instant message that he was transported from Balad to Baghdad and was communicating from a C-130 preparing to take off to Dubai.
He said 300 in total have been evacuated from Balad, about 60 miles north of Baghdad, and another 100 are still awaiting airlift. He said the Iraqi Air Force is trying to evacuate everyone by midnight local time.
The base has been under attack by ISIS forces with small arms, AK47s and rocket propelled grenades. We hope and pray Americans are able to stay out of harm’s way as Obama throws Iraq to the wolves.
