Eugene Armstrong

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Eugene Armstrong, in orange, seated, before his decapitation by the five men standing over him.
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Eugene Armstrong, in orange, seated, before his decapitation by the five men standing over him.

Olin Eugene Armstrong, Jr., (June 5, 1953 - September 20, 2004) an American contractor working in Iraq for the construction firm Gulf Energy Company of the United Arab Emirates, was beheaded on September 20, 2004 by the Tawhid and Jihad, a militant group led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is believed to have personally beheaded Armstrong. The following day, the group beheaded another hostage, American Jack Hensley, and threatened to kill their third hostage, Briton Kenneth Bigley, unless the United States met their demands to free all women prisoners in Iraqi jails.

Armstrong, also known by his nickname "Jack", grew up in the south-central Michigan community of Hillsdale, where he lived until 1990.

The host for the Tawhid and Jihad website showing his murder, HostingAnime, has defended its content citing "free speech".

[edit] See also

[edit] Iraq

[edit] Decapitation