American Journalist Abducted in Baghdad
American journalist Shelley Kittleson was kidnapped in Baghdad, Iraq, amid rising tension in the region, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials. One of the suspected kidnappers is believed to be linked to an Iranian-supported militia.
Kittleson was reportedly taken by four unidentified men while she was on Saddun Street on Tuesday. Authorities were pursuing the two vehicles involved when one crashed in al-Haswa, south of Baghdad. After the crash, she was moved to another vehicle and escaped.
One suspect has been apprehended from the wrecked vehicle, but the others remain at large. U.S. and Iraqi security forces are actively searching for them.
Alex Pritsas, a former Pentagon official who was in contact with Kittleson, noted that those arrested have connections to Kataib Hezbollah, a pro-Iranian militia that reportedly receives partial funding from the Iraqi government.
“She is the sweetest person in the world and there is not a mean bone in her body,” Pritsas stated in a message.
“We are deeply concerned about the kidnapping incident. We urge for the safe and immediate release of our contributor Shelley Kittleson in Iraq,” said a statement from Al-Monitor.
Multiple officials from the Trump administration remarked that they had warned Kittleson of the risks involved in traveling to Iraq. Another official mentioned that she had received several threats as of the previous evening.
“The State Department has fulfilled its obligation to warn of threats against this individual and will continue to collaborate with the FBI to ensure her release as soon as possible,” Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for international affairs, remarked.
In addition, security sources indicated that an alert was issued across checkpoints to help track the kidnappers who were heading toward Babil Governorate.
While no direct connection to the ongoing conflict with Iran has been made, this incident follows a series of attacks on U.S. positions in the region by Iranian-backed groups since late February.
