By David MacDougall

The FBI has confirmed what family members feared: remains found in Iraq last week are those of Jonathon Cote, aged 25, from Amherst in upstate New York. He was kidnapped 17 months ago along with four colleagues, while working as a private security contractor. They were apparently ambushed at a fake checkpoint in southern Iraq back in November 2006, by 30 gunmen said to have been dressed in Iraqi police uniforms. The “fake checkpoint” scam has been pulled frequently by various insurgent groups (often, though not exclusively, Shiites).

I talked with Dan Herbeck of the Buffalo News, who has covered this story extensively from the start. He tells me that Jonathon’s family were always gracious, and remained very proactive in keeping the story in the public eye, through their efforts with local media.

Kidnapping Time line

A month after being kidnapped, Jonathon appeared on a videotape released by his captors (it’s online at www.myspace.com/freecote). Talking to the camera, Cote said:

It seems like nothing more was heard about the fate of Jonathon and his colleagues for many months. The wait and lack of news must have been incredibly frustrating and frightening for his family. I know my own family worries if I don’t call while out on an embed; or if they watch TV and hear about bombings, they worry how close I might have been. Cote’s father is quoted as saying the only information the Government had provided was “we have no news, we have activity”. Mr Cote said “it’s very vague”.

In March this year US authorities received fingers from the kidnappers. Yes, fingers. Jonathon’s included. Perhaps this way a way to show proof of life. Perhaps it was some sort of threat. Perhaps we’ll never know.

Then the bodies started turning up. Jonathon’s friends first, his last of all. All the remains identified by DNA testing at Dover Air Force Base. No group has claimed responsibility, and there’s no particular feeling about why they were killed, versus simply released.

Other Hostages: Some Lucky, Some Not

Jonathon and his colleagues weren’t the only western hostages in Iraq. Last May, five British men were kidnapped here in Baghdad: four security contractors and their client. At first the British government wouldn’t talk about the case – it was their policy (likely dictated by negotiations or information gathering efforts) to be very low-key. Authorities suspect they’re being held by a hard-core Mahdi Army splinter group – with some people speculating they’re even in Iran. Almost a year after they were captured, there’s still no firm word of their fate.

One recent hostage had a much luckier escape. Richard Butler is a British cameraman for CBS News. He was working on a story in Basra two months ago when he was kidnapped. Just last week he was released by Iraqi forces as they searched a home in the southern city. The video we saw of Richard on TV seemed to show him looking healthy and in good shape. I met Richard on an embed in Anbar province last year and got to know him just a little bit. He’s exceptionally experienced at what he does, and has covered numerous wars in danger zones around the world. He’s now safely back home and says he wasn’t abused by his captors.

In Memorium

Today – Jonathon Cote’s family will give a press conference to talk about their son’s death. It’s obviously not the end to this story that anybody hoped for. But it must be some small comfort that they’ve got Jonathon’s body back home and that he’s now at peace.

Tributes have been flooding in to the myspace website set up to publicize Jonathon’s kidnapping. Reading the messages, it’s clear many of them are from people who knew and loved him. Others are from strangers who learned about Jonathon’s story, and wanted to add their own kind words of support to his family.

To read the tributes, or to learn more about Jonathon, his co-workers and their story, go to:

www.freecote.com

www.myspace.com/freecote