Aban Elias

Aban Abdel Malek Mahmoud Elias is an Iraqi American civil engineer who was born in Iraq, lived in Denver, Colorado, then returned to Iraq. He was kidnapped on May 3, 2004, near his home in Baghdad. He was shown being held hostage in a video on Al Arabiya television station. While, blindfolded and posed against a stone wall, he was shown pleading for help. A transcript provided by Al Arabiya quoted him as saying in English:

“My name is Aban Elias from Denver, Colorado. I am a civil engineer working in Baghdad ... and we are working with the Pentagon. ... I was kidnapped, and I call upon Muslim organizations to interfere to release me.”

He has not been seen or heard from since.