American journalist abducted in Iraq, suspect arrested
Washington: An American journalist was kidnapped in Iraq; The country’s interior ministry said one suspect had been arrested, while others (along with the victim) were still missing.
Al-Monitor, an independent media outlet covering the Middle East, identified the kidnapped journalist as Shelly Kittleson, one of its contributors.
His identity was also confirmed by Alex Plitsas, a CNN security analyst and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, who said he was Kittleson’s point of contact in the United States.
Al-Monitor’s statement said: “We are deeply concerned about the kidnapping of Al-Monitor writer Shelly Kittleson in Iraq on Tuesday.”
“We call for his safe and immediate release. We stand behind his vital reporting from the region and call for his immediate return to continue his important work.”
Kittleson was kidnapped in Baghdad on Tuesday (Iraq time). Plitsas said on channel X that he believed his friend may have been taken hostage by Kata’ib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Shiite militia group operating in Iraq, which the United States has designated a terrorist organization.
New York Times also reported It was stated that the arrested suspect was a member of Kata’ib Hezbollah and that the authorities there, based on Iraqi security officials, were working with the assumption that this group was behind the kidnapping.
The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but CBS News reported that the department confirmed it was monitoring developments.
The Iraqi Interior Ministry said in a statement on its Facebook page, translated using Google, that a foreign journalist was “kidnapped by unknown assailants.”
The ministry said that security forces detected the kidnappers’ vehicle, which overturned while trying to escape. In the statement, it was stated that police officers caught and arrested a suspect and seized the vehicle, and efforts to locate the victim and other kidnappers continued.
“The Ministry of Internal Affairs reiterates its firm stance that no attempt to destabilize security or target foreign guests will be tolerated; security agencies will remain vigilant and determined to pursue lawbreakers and bring them to justice.”
According to the Women’s Media Center, Kittleson is a freelance journalist focusing on the Middle East and Afghanistan, and her work has been published in the United States, Italy and other international outlets.
Michael Koziol is the North America correspondent for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Sydney editor, Sun-Herald deputy editor and a federal political correspondent in Canberra.Connect with: X or email.
