U.S. Journalist Jill Carroll Released

Posted on March 30, 2006

Good news to wake up to this morning via FOX

Kidnapped U.S. reporter Jill Carroll has been released after nearly three months in captivity, Iraq police and the leader of the Islamic Party said Thursday. Her editor said she was in good condition.

“She was released this morning, she’s talked to her father and she’s fine,” said David Cook, Washington bureau chief of The Christian Science Monitor.

Carroll was kidnapped on Jan. 7 in Baghdad’s western Adil neighborhood while going to interview Sunni Arab politician Adnan al-Dulaimi. Her translator was killed in the attack about 300 yards from al-Dulaimi’s office.

Her captors, calling themselves the Revenge Brigades, had demanded the release of all women detainees in Iraq by Feb. 26 and said Carroll would be killed if that didn’t happen. The date came and went with no word about her welfare.

From Washington Post

She said she did not know where she had been held captive, or why her kidnappers decided to release her. “I don’t know. I don’t know what happened,” she said in the interview, which was broadcast later in the afternoon by the Islamic Party’s Baghdad TV station . “They just came to me and said, ‘Okay, we’re going to let you go now.’ “

She said that they treated her well.

“I was treated well, but I don’t know why I was kidnapped,” Carroll said in a brief interview on Baghdad television.

Even though the group threatened twice in videotapes to kill her, Carroll said, “They never hit me. They never said they would hit me.”

I’m not sure what to make of complimenting the behavior of terrorists that kidnapped you, but glad you are not dead. As President Bush said, “Praise God!”

From what I remember, her captors had demanded the release of all female prisoners from US custody. Eventually five female prisoners were released, however Centcom denied it had anything to do with her kidnapping.

This is great news. Details of why she was released are unknown, but the main thing is that she is alive and healthy. We wish the best for her and her family!