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Kidnapped reporter video shown on Kuwaiti TV
Abducted American journalist Jill Carroll appeared in a video broadcast on Kuwaiti television Thursday, urging the U.S. government to meet her kidnappers' demands. On the video, Carroll says she is OK. "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," she says. "That's all." In the video, Carroll says the date is February 6, then she shakes her head and corrects herself: "February 2, 2006." In the video, Carroll wears a hijab, or Muslim headdress, and appears more composed than she did during a video broadcast January 30, in which she was weeping. "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 mujahedeen," Carroll says in English on the tape, broadcast on AlRai television. AlRai said it had a copy of the letter Carroll referred to and was planning to give it to authorities. The video and the letter were dropped off at the station's Baghdad office, AlRai said. A U.S. State Department official said the government is trying to verify the tape's authenticity. Editor Richard Bergenheim said Thursday that it was difficult to see Carroll speaking under such circumstances. "We are seeking more information about the letter that Jill refers to in the video," he said. "We remain in constant contact with Jill's family and are still doing everything possible to obtain Jill's release." Carroll's family also released a statement, saying, "The family is hopeful and grateful to all those working on Jill's behalf." The kidnappers have demanded that the United States release all female prisoners it has in custody in Iraq. Five have been released, but Washington said those releases had nothing to do with the kidnappers' demands. Four others are still in custody. The most recent tape is the third on which Carroll has appeared. The first two were broadcast on the Arabic-language network Al-Jazeera. The second tape, released January 30, bore the logo of a group called Brigades of Vengeance, which has claimed responsibility for her kidnapping. Numerous governments and organizations, along with her relatives, have demanded Carroll's release. Posted by: Dan Darling 2006-02-10 |
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