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5000 Americans Unaccounted For

5000 Americans unaccounted for (AFP)

AS MANY as 5000 Americans are still unaccounted for a week after the world’s deadliest tsunami pounded a dozen countries across the Indian Ocean, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said today.

Mr Powell told reporters aboard his plane en route to Bangkok that the confirmed toll of Americans still stood at 15 with a defence department worker listed as missing. “The number of private citizens or citizens unaccounted for still lingers around 4-5000,” he said, adding the figure was based on phone calls from relatives or friends inquiring about their whereabouts.

Mr Powell said this did not mean they were necessarily casualties in the catastrophe. But he added: “We can’t ignore the very distinct possibility that there are Americans within this number who have lost their lives. We just don’t know that”.

Sadly, those who are still unaccounted for this many days after a tragedy that has received this level of attention are almost certainly dead–or do not wish to be found.

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About James Joyner
James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. Follow James on Twitter.

Comments

  1. Say Anything says:

    Missing Americans
    Here’s something we haven’t been hearing a lot about (via OTB).

    AFP – AS MANY as 5000 Americans are still unaccounted for a week after the world’s deadliest tsunami pounded a dozen countries across the Indian Ocean, US Secretary of State Colin Po…

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  2. INBB says:

    Digi-Testudo
    Weblogs have been getting a grand daily feature on MSNBC the last week for the coverage of the tsunami disaster which, by some miracle hasn’t been given a normalizing catch phrase, yet. There is no need to try to mention…

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  3. 5000 Americans Unaccounted For
    I hear from other sources that rescue efforts are no longer expected to turn up survivors. We can only hope that many of the folks missing will call home soon.

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