American journalist kidnapped in Iraq had been warned of threats 'multiple times'
· Toronto Sun
An American journalist who was kidnapped in Iraq had been warned of threats against her days before her abduction, Iraqi and U.S. officials said.
Freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson was forced into a car by two men in Baghdad on Tuesday and has not been seen since then.
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Originally from Wisconsin, the 49-year-old is an experienced reporter who has worked for years in Iraq and Syria, staying in Rome between stints.
U.S. officials believe she was kidnapped by a suspected Iranian-backed Iraqi armed group called Kataib Hezballah.
An Iraqi official said she had tried to enter Iraq from Syria earlier in March, but was denied entry as she didn’t have the proper work permit and because of security concerns as the war escalated in Iran, The Associated Press reported.
Kittleson taken days after arriving in Baghdad
Kittleson later entered Iraq after obtaining a 60-day, single-entry visa, which is issued to allow foreign citizens stranded in neighbouring countries to “transit through Iraq to reach their home countries via available transport routes,” said Hussein Alawi, an adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
He told AP that she was kidnapped days after entering Baghdad and was staying at a hotel in the capital.
As her abduction happened at a busy intersection, Iraqi authorities were able to intercept a car after it crashed, arresting one suspect. A second car with Kittleson and other suspects fled from the scene.
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Kittleson contacted ‘multiple times’ about threat: Official
Before the incident, Iraqi authorities had notified U.S. officials of a specific kidnapping threat against Kittleson by Iran-affiliated militias, according to an unnamed Iraqi intelligence official who spoke to AP.
The U.S. State Department issued a statement confirming the abduction of an American journalist without naming Kittleson.
“The State Department previously fulfilled our duty to warn this individual of threats against them and we will continue to co-ordinate with the FBI to ensure their release as quickly as possible,” said Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, in a post on X .
An unnamed U.S. official told AP that Kittleson was contacted “multiple times with warnings of the threats against her.”
Journalist believed to be in Baghdad
She reportedly told a friend she didn’t believe the threat was credible.
Surveillance footage obtained by AP of the apparent abduction showed a car slowly approaching a person standing on a street corner with two men walking behind it. Within seconds, the two men force the individual into the back of car and drive off.
An Iraqi intelligence official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment said Iraqi authorities believe she is being held in Baghdad and are trying to locate her and secure her release. He said authorities “have information about the abducting party,” but declined to give more details.
Iran-backed militias in Iraq have launched regular attacks on U.S. facilities in the country since the beginning of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
— With files from The Associated Press.