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THE MIA INVESTIGATIONS IN THE USA

During the late 1970s and 1980s the friends and relatives of unaccounted for American GIs became politically active, requesting the U.S. government reveal what steps were taken to follow up on intelligence regarding last known alive MIAs and POWs. When initial inquiries revealed important information had not been pursued, many families and their supporters asked for the public release of POW/MIA records and called for an investigation.


MIA IN IRAQ

During the Persian Gulf War of 1991 , an American pilot named Scott Speicher was reported as KIA after his aircraft was shot down. In 1997, a Defense Department document leaked to the '' New York Times '' showed that the Pentagon had not been forthcoming with information previously requested by U.S. Senator Rod Grams . Senator Grams publicly accused the Pentagon of misleading him, and joined with Senator Bob Smith in calling for an investigation by the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee. That investigation is ongoing. Much intelligence regarding Speicher's fate remains classified.

A small number of coalition soldiers went missing in action in Iraq following the 2003 Invasion . In one prominent case, an American soldier of Lebanese background, Wassef Ali Hassoun , went missing and claimed to have been captured. It was soon discovered he made the story up, and Hassoun is currently a fugitive.

US Army Sgt. Keith Maupin was captured by insurgents in April 2004 . He was allegedly executed in June 2004 . A video allegedly showing Maupin's execution was broadcast on Al Jazeera but the U.S has not confirmed Maupin is dead. He is still listed as MIA.


COLLOQUIAL USAGE

MIA is sometimes used to describe difficulty finding something. "The TV remote has gone MIA."


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