Paul Overby

Paul Overby
BornNovember 27, 1942
Illinois, United States
DisappearedMay 17, 2014 (aged 71)
Waziristan, Pakistan
StatusMissing for 10 years, 7 months and 11 days
NationalityAmerican
Other namesPaul Edwin Overby, Jr.
OccupationAuthor
Known forDisappeared mysteriously in Waziristan

Paul Edwin Overby Jr. (born November 27, 1942)[1] is an American author who disappeared on his way to Waziristan, in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas, to interview Sirajuddin Haqqani.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8] Overby's wife, Jane Larson, revealed it happened on May 17, 2014. Journalists agreed not to publish his identity until January 2017, when she agreed to make his identity public.[9]

Disappearance

Larson had believed Overby had been kidnapped by the Taliban.[5] However, on February 28, 2017, the Taliban released a statement denying that they had kidnapped Overby.[10]

Reporters Without Borders called for his release, on January 27, 2017.[11] On March 19, 2019, journalist David Rodhe, a former hostage himself, noted in The New Yorker, that Overby was one of the Americans still in captivity.[12]

Later events

On May 8, 2018, the Federal Bureau of Investigation offered a $1 million reward for information leading to his rescue.[7] In addition, the US government's counterterrorism Rewards for Justice Program offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his location.[13]

Publications

In 1993, Overby published a book on the Soviet–Afghan War, Holy Blood: An Inside View of the Afghan War.[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Paul Edwin Overby, Jr". Federal Bureau of Investigation.
  2. ^ Yusufzai, Rahimullah (2017-01-03). "American author Overby untraceable two years after he went missing". The News International. Archived from the original on 2018-09-11. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  3. ^ "'Secret' U.S. Hostage Held by Taliban Identified as Paul Overby". Daily Beast. 2017-01-05. Archived from the original on 2017-03-01. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  4. ^ Goldman, Adam (2017-01-04). "Wife of American Man Missing in Afghanistan Says He Was Abducted". The New York Times. Washington DC. p. A7. Archived from the original on 2018-02-15. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  5. ^ a b Zahid, Noor (2017-02-28). "Afghan Taliban Statement Puts American Author's Whereabouts in Question". Voice of America. Archived from the original on 2017-05-28. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  6. ^ Gilbert, David (2017-01-12). "Proof of Life". Vice News. Archived from the original on 2017-03-01. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  7. ^ a b "$1 Million Reward Offered for Information Leading to the Return of Kevin King and Paul Edwin Overby, Jr". Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2018-06-18. Archived from the original on 2019-01-11. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
  8. ^ "Most Wanted Kidnappings/Missing Persons: Paul Edwin Overby, Jr". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Archived from the original on 2019-01-10. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
  9. ^ Bergen, Peter (2017-01-05). "Family reveals American vanished in Afghanistan two years ago". CNN. Archived from the original on 2018-02-15. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  10. ^ "Remarks by spokesman of Islamic Emirate answering family of US citizen Paul Overby". Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. 2017-02-28. Archived from the original on 2018-09-01. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
  11. ^ "Call for release of US writer missing in North Waziristan". Dawn. 2017-01-27. Archived from the original on 2018-02-15. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  12. ^ Rodhe, David (2019-03-19). "An Exaggerated Trump Achievement Worthy of Applause". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 2019-03-20. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
  13. ^ "Kidnapping of Paul Edwin Overby, Jr. (Khost Province, Afghanistan | May 2014) | Reward: Up to $5 Million". Rewards for Justice Program. Archived from the original on 2024-09-15. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  14. ^ Overby, Paul (1993). Holy blood: an inside view of the Afghan War. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishing. ISBN 0-275-94622-3. Archived from the original on 2017-03-01. Retrieved 2019-03-27.