The Gulf region is becoming a dangerous place to be in. Sadly, for some categories of people, injuries from war are not the only danger they face. Journalists, for example, risk being kidnapped or killed.
A US Journalist Kidnapped in Iraq
A female Journalist, Shelley Kittleson, was abducted this week in Iraq’s capital, Baghdad. Apparently, she had received a prior warning that she was a target of foul play, which did not rule out abduction or murder.
The Iraqi Interior Minister confirmed the abduction, saying that Kittleson was kidnapped from Central Baghdad. She has previously reported on a freelance basis not only in Iraq, but also in Syria and Lebanon.
Kittleson had apparently received prior warnings of threats against her, through a group allied to Iran, Kataib Hezbollah. The FBI has confirmed that some US citizens have been targeted for kidnapping, murder, or other crimes.
AI Monitor, a US news outlet that Kittleson works for as a contributor, has called for her safe release. A US official said that the US government is working with the Iraqi government to trace her whereabouts.
A video circulating on social media, and verified by the Associated Press, appears to show Kittleson’s kidnapping moment. Meanwhile, the US embassy in Baghdad has been asking any US citizens in Iraq to leave.