American journalist abducted in Iraq, suspect arrested
Updated ,first published
Washington: An American journalist has been kidnapped in Iraq, and the country’s Interior Ministry says one suspect has been arrested, while others (along with the victim) are still missing.
Al-MonitorAn independent media service covering the Middle East identified the kidnapped journalist as one of the contributors, Shelly Kittleson.
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.
“We are deeply concerned about the kidnapping incident.” Al-Monitor contributor Shelly Kittleson was in Iraq on Tuesday,” Al-Monitor he said in a statement.
“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 the X channel that his friend may have been taken hostage by Kata’ib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Shiite militia group operating in Iraq, which the United States defines as a terrorist organization.
US State Department spokesman Dylan Johnson confirmed that the government was aware of the kidnapping in Baghdad and that a terrorist organization was suspected of being involved.
“The State Department has previously fulfilled our duty to warn this individual about threats to them, and we will continue to coordinate with the FBI to ensure their release as quickly as possible,” Johnson said.
“A person with ties to an Iran-linked militia group [Kata’ib Hezbollah] “The person believed to be involved in the kidnapping has been detained by Iraqi authorities.”
He said all Americans have been warned not to travel to Iraq for any reason.
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.
He contributed Foreign policy, New Lines Magazine And Policyamong others.
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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.
