FBI identifies two more kidnapped victims

WASHINGTON, March 27 (UPI) -- The FBI says it has recovered the remains of three more individuals in the ongoing investigation into the kidnapping of five Western contractors in Iraq.

FBI investigators say the remains of Paul Johnson-Reuben of Minnesota and Joshua Munns of California were positively identified Thursday. Both individuals were employed by Kuwait-based private security firm Crescent Security Group. Officials say they were kidnapped in November 2006 after being ambushed while escorting a convoy, the FBI reported.

Officials are still working to identify the third individual.

Johnson-Reuben and Munns were kidnapped along with two other Americans and an Austrian who also worked for the Crescent Security Group. The FBI, which has been conducting the investigation for the last 16 months, announced Monday it recovered the remains of two other kidnapped security contractors in Iraq identified as John Young of Missouri, who also worked for CSG, and Ronald Withrow of Texas, who worked for JPI worldwide.

"The investigation is ongoing, and the FBI, working with our partners in the Hostage Working Group in Iraq, will continue to aggressively investigate every available lead in order to identify, apprehend, and bring to justice those responsible for these horrific criminal acts," Richard Kolko, FBI supervisory special agent, said in a statement.

Earlier in March the investigation made progress when the severed fingers of five of the men were sent to U.S. military authorities in Iraq. Hopes were raised when authorities announced the discovery of the fingers and that the men might still be alive. But those hopes quickly faded when the identities were released by the FBI.