Kazwan Elias stares at his phone, having just received another call from a State Department spokeswoman on the anniversary of his brother’s capture in Iraq on May 3, 2004.
“They say nothing. They just ask me to keep them informed of anything new,” a frustrated Elias, an American citizen of Iraqi descent, said Tuesday. “The government does nothing for its civilian citizens in Iraq. They do everything for the soldiers. But are civilians not as important as soldiers? Everyone should be important.”
Aban Elias, a civil engineer with a degree from Metropolitan State College of Denver, entered Iraq by himself about three years ago with an entrepreneurial spirit. With his Iraqi uncle, he bought a run-down gravel company with the plan to refurbish it and supply gravel for the rebuilding of Iraq’s war- torn roads.
But on May 3, 2004, Aban, then 41, was captured by the “Rage Brigade,” an unknown group of insurgents. Three days later, the brigade released to the al-Jazeera television network a videotape of Aban sitting, bound and blindfolded. It was the last time anyone has seen or heard from him.
“There’s never been a ransom demand,” Kaz wan said. “We don’t know if he was captured by criminals or for political reasons. We’ve been told nothing.”
Kazwan, 35, whose wife just had their first child six months ago, would go look for his brother but has no money. “Who would pay for my family while I’m gone?” said the Denver resident.
Aban’s wife, three children and parents live in Jordan. He has two aunts who still live in the family home in Baghdad. They hear nothing, Kazwan said, and his 67-year-old mother has made numerous trips there looking for her son.
He doubts that the U.S. government is looking for civilian hostages. “We get nothing, just a request to tell the State Department if we hear something,” he said.
According to the State Department, five American citizens, including Aban Elias, currently are being held captive in Iraq.
Staff writer Mike McPhee can be reached at 303-820-1409 or mmcphee@denverpost.com.
