Will Review The Case Of Michael Scott Speicher

His aircraft was hit just minutes after the beginning of the first war in Iraq and, for the past 14 years, Captain Michael Scott Speicher's fate has been an agonizing mystery to family and friends. Now, the Navy will convene a special panel to perhaps change his status once again.

Speicher's status has already been changed more than once. He was declared missing in action during the first Gulf War. As ANN reported in 2002, Lt. Speicher's status was changed to "Killed in Action/Body Not Recovered."

But even as late as October, 2002, there were tantalizing indications that Speicher was still alive. Navy intelligence officers decided not only that he ejected, but that he probably survived the process. A flight suit was found near the crash site -- one that could have been Speicher's. There was also other intelligence information that led Navy Secretary Gordon England to change Speicher's status again just before the Second Gulf War, declaring him missing in action.

Well, here we go again. Citing new intelligence, England has decided to convene a special panel that will go over everything having to do with Speicher's disappearance and decide once again whether this case should be closed.

The decision isn't necessarily a popular one. "I'm very disappointed that the Defense Department after two years doesn't have any evidence on what happened to Captain Speicher," Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) told the Washington Times. He's especially upset that the Pentagon has disbanded a special search team that scoured Iraq for more news on the missing pilot.

"That's very disappointing because we ought to bring closure for the family," Nelson told the Times.

FMI: www.navy.mil