Jill Carroll

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Jill Carroll appeared in a video released by the terrorist group Brigades of Vengeance

Jill C. Carroll (b. 1977 in Ann Arbor, Michigan) is an American freelance journalist who was kidnapped in Baghdad on January 7, 2006 by Iraqi terrorists. Carroll was reporting in Iraq for the Christian Science Monitor. She has also worked as a commentator for news networks such as MSNBC. She has been in Iraq since October 2003. Before covering the Middle East, Carroll was a reporter in Washington, D.C., for the Wall Street Journal and States News Service.

Carroll graduated from Huron High School in Ann Arbor in 1995. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a bachelor's degree in Journalism in 1999. She was a well known Wikipedian and has made several contributions to the site in the fields of The Middle-East and aeronautics.

Abduction

On January 7, Carroll, along with an interpreter and driver, traveled to the Adel district of Baghdad to interview Adnan al-Dulaimi, a Sunni politician and leader of the Iraqi People's Conference. After discovering that al-Dulaimi was not at his office, they left and soon after were ambushed by masked gunmen. The driver managed to escape, but Carroll was kidnapped and her interpreter, Allan Enwiyah, 32, was shot dead and his body abandoned nearby by the kidnappers during the abduction. Carroll's driver, quoted in a story posted on the Monitor's website, said gunmen jumped in front of the car, pulled him from it, and drove off with their two captives all within 15 seconds.

According to the watchdog group Reporters without Borders, Carroll was the 31st foreign journalist to be kidnapped in Iraq since the Iraq War began in March 2003.

"We are urgently seeking information about Ms. Carroll and are pursuing every avenue to secure her release," Monitor editor Richard Bergenheim said last week.

"I, her father and her sister are appealing directly to her captors to release this young woman who has worked so hard to show the sufferings of Iraqis to the world," Mary Beth Carroll told CNN's American Morning on January 19.

American and Iraqi Security forces are still trying to locate Jill Carroll. U.S. forces initially raided a mosque in the west of the capital after a tip that "activities related to the kidnapping were being carried out inside," triggering angry protests from Sunni Muslim citizens.

Video

On January 17, Qatar-based news network Al-Jazeera aired a silent 20-second video-tape that showed Carroll, and indicated that in an accompanying message, an as-yet unidentified group was giving the United States 72 hours to release all female prisoners in Iraq. If that demand is not met, the group says it will kill Carroll.

The silent video shows Carroll speaking in front of a white background.

The Qatar-based station said the kidnappers identified themselves as members of a previously unknown armed group calling itself the "Brigades of Vengeance" (or "Revenge Brigade", as they were described on NPR's All Things Considered).

Adnan al-Dulaimi

Adnan al-Dulaimi gave a press conference on January 20 and gave the following statements.

"This act has hurt me and makes me sad because the journalist was trying to meet me when she was kidnapped. After she left my office because she was unable to meet me, she was kidnapped 300 meters from my office."

"We are against violence by any group, and we call the government and U.S. forces to stop raiding houses, arresting women. I call upon the kidnappers to immediately release this reporter who came here to cover Iraq's news and defending our rights."

Suspects still at large

It was reported that on January 24, Iraqi authorities arrested three individuals in the Adel neighborhood of Baghdad believed to be involved in Jill's kidnapping and the murder of her interpreter. That report proved to be inaccurate.

Iraqi prisoners released

On January 27, five female Iraqi prisoners were released from U.S. custody. The U.S. military stated that the prisoner release was already planned and had nothing to do with Carroll's kidnapper's initial demand to kill her within 72 hours unless all female detainees in Iraqi prisons were released.

Second video

On January 30, a second video appeared on Al Jazeera showing Carroll wearing a headscarf and crying. The footage was timestamped with a date of January 28 and also featured the logo of the Brigades of Vengeance Islamic militant group. Although the initial airing of the video did not include audio, Carroll is said to repeat earlier pleas to release all female hostages under American custody.

Third video

On February 9, a third video appeared on private Kuwaiti TV channel Alrai TV. The 22-second video showed Carroll sitting in a chair behind a large floral pattern, in full islamic dress. She's pleading for supporters to do whatever it takes to release her. Unlike the previous two videos, both audio and video is included. Carroll mentions that the date of the tape is February 2.

In the tape, she mentions letters that she has written as evidence for the authenticity of the tape. A letter accompanied the tape that was written by Carroll, but no previous letters have been found. The contents of the letter has not been disclosed.

The following is a transcript from the video:

"Today is Thursday, February 6-[corrects herself]-February 2, 2006. I'm with the mujahideen. I sent you a letter written by my hand that you wanted more evidence so we're sending you this new letter now just to prove that I am with the mujahideen.

I'm here, I'm fine. Please, just do whatever they want, give them whatever they want as quickly as possible. There is very short time; please do it fast. That's all."

February 26 deadline

Kuwaiti television reported February 10 that the kidnappers had communicated to them a deadline set for February 26 for their demands to be met, or Carroll would be killed. [1]

Earlier, people close to the kidnappers told Al Rai TV that Carroll is "in a safe house owned by one of the kidnappers in downtown Baghdad with a group of women."

On February 14, Iraqi TV began airing a Public Service Announcement appealing for her release.

Support

Countless support and prayers have been poured our around the world in regards to Jill Carroll's capture. Efforts include participation from a Baghdad newspaper in which the front page read, "She loves Iraq. Now she needs your help."

On February 5, in Rome, Continued support efforts were expressed by the hanging of a giant poster of Carroll on the city hall building in hopes of Jill's release. Over the past several months, similar efforts were shown by hanging photographs of other kidnapped individuals from the same spot.

In Paris, on February 7, 30 white balloons were release to mark the 30 days of Carroll's captivity (in actuality it was 32 days). Juliette Binoche (Chocolat, The English Patient), a French actress also appeared to show her support.

References

• "Abductors threaten to kill journalist in Iraq". 2006-01-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |org= ignored (help)
• "Abductors threaten to kill American journalist", MSNBC. 2006-01-17. Retrieved 2006-01-17. Updated 2006-01-20
• Peterson, Scott. "Reporter abducted in Iraq", Christian Science Monitor. 2006-01-10 edition. Retrieved 2006-01-17.
• "Iraq: Suspects in Carroll kidnapping arrested", Adnkronos International. January 24, 2006. Retrieved January 24, 2006.
• "Five Iraqi women are released from US custody", Christian Science Monitor. 2006-01-27 edition. Retrieved 2006-01-26.
• "Kidnapped journalist appears in new video", San Jose Mercury News. January 30, 2006. Retrieved January 30, 2006.
• "Kidnapped U.S. reporter appeals for help", New York Times. February 9, 2006. Retrieved February 9, 2006.
• "Let young writer go, metro Muslims urge", Detroit Free Press 2006-01-19. Retrieved 2006-02-24.

External links

• Carroll, Jill. "Politics, Mesopotamian Style", U.S. News & World Report. 2006-01-09 edition. Retrieved 2006-01-23.
• Carroll, Jill. "Violence threatens Iraqi coalition", Christian Science Monitor. 2006-01-06 edition. Retrieved 2006-01-23.
• Carroll, Jill and Murphy, Dan. "America's waning clout in Iraq", Christian Science Monitor. 2006-01-05 edition. Retrieved 2006-01-23.
• Carroll, Jill. "Shiites, Kurds forge ahead", Christian Science Monitor. 2005-12-30 edition. Retrieved 2006-01-23.
• Carroll, Jill. Notebook: Iraq blog, Christian Science Monitor. (occasionally filed by Jill Carroll). Retrieved 2006-02-16.