Eugene Jack Armstrong, an American contractor working in Iraq for the construction firm Gulf Services Company of the United Arab Emirates, was beheaded on September 20, 2004 by Tawhid and Jihad, a militant group led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

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 meets their demands to free all women prisoners in Iraqi jails.

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

In the video Armstrong was seen crying before his death.

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

See also

Iraq

• 2003 invasion of Iraq
• Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse
• Human rights situation in post-Saddam Iraq

Decapitation

• Daniel Pearl
• Nick Berg
• Paul Marshall Johnson, Jr.
• Kim Sun-il
• Jack Hensley
• Kenneth Bigley

External links

WARNING - The first link shows a graphic decapitation.

• http://4.78.57.43/ogrish-dot-com-eugene-armstrong-beheading-video.wmv An edited video of the beheading that only shows the beheading (Warning: This video has extremely graphic violence.)
• Reuters
• New York Times