Shelly Kittleson's Kidnappers May Be Eyeing an Exchange

An American journalist snatched off a busy Baghdad street may be seen as a bargaining chip by an Iraqi militia. Two Iraqi security officials tell the New York Times that Kataib Hezbollah reached out to the Iraqi government and offered to release reporter Shelly Kittleson in exchange for several of its detained members. The group, which is backed by Iran and labeled a foreign terrorist organization by the US, did not respond to requests for comment. Officials say it's unclear whether further demands would be made.

Kittleson, a longtime correspondent in the Middle East, was abducted Tuesday in central Baghdad and forced into a vehicle that sped out of the city, according to Iraqi officials. Security forces pursued, tracking the car to a highway where it overturned; the kidnappers shifted her into a second vehicle and escaped, leaving behind a suspect identified as a Kataib Hezbollah member. Kittleson had reportedly been warned about threats against her in the days before her abduction.