Shelley Kittleson Kidnapping: What We Know
Award-winning American journalist Shelly Kittleson has been kidnapped in Iraq, according to multiple news outlets. The FBI is working on a rescue operation.
Award-winning American journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in Iraq on March 31, and the country’s Foreign Ministry has launched an investigation, according to multiple news outlets.
A State Department official said the United States was aware of reports that an American journalist had been kidnapped in Baghdad, adding that the U.S. government had issued a warning.
“The State Department has previously fulfilled its obligation to warn of threats against this individual and will continue to work with the FBI to ensure his release as soon as possible,” Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for international public affairs, told X, without mentioning Kittleson by name.
Here’s what we know about this international author.
Who is Sherry Kittleson?
Kittleson is an independent journalist based in the Middle East. According to her public LinkedIn account, her work has been contributed to multiple publications over the past decade, including Al Majara, Al Monitor, ANSA, and RAI Radiotre, among other freelance works.
Kittleson’s biography on X says she is an “award-winning journalist covering the Middle East and Afghanistan” for media companies that are not listed on her LinkedIn account, including Foreign Policy, BBC World Service, New Lines Magazine and Politico.
Kittleson primarily reports on “security, conflict, and post-conflict issues in the Middle East and surrounding region,” according to her biography in New Lines Magazine. Kittleson began reporting in Afghanistan and spent the next few years reporting extensively from the ground in Syria and Iraq, the website said.
Kittleson won Italy’s coveted Premio Calavera journalism award in 2017 for his war coverage, according to the Italian Institute of International Politics.
What happened to Sherry Kittleson?
Kittleson’s kidnapping sparked an intensive manhunt that led to the arrest of one person believed to be involved, USA TODAY reported.
Iraq’s Interior Ministry confirmed in a statement that a foreign journalist had been abducted and said it had immediately launched an investigation to trace the kidnappers’ movements. Authorities recovered the car used by the kidnappers, which overturned as the suspects fled from police.
“The ministry confirms that efforts are continuing to trace the remaining perpetrators and secure the release of the abducted women, and appropriate legal action will be taken against all those involved in this criminal act in accordance with the law,” the ministry said. “The investigation is still ongoing to fully establish the circumstances of the incident and further details will be provided at a later date.”
Al-Monitor, the newspaper Kittleson wrote for, issued a statement calling for her “safe and immediate release.” The statement added: “We support her important reporting from the region and ask for her prompt return to continue her important work.” Kittleson’s biography on Al-Monitor’s website describes her as a “journalist specializing in the Middle East and Afghanistan.”
Contributor: Christopher Kang
Kate Perez covers national trends and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kperez@usatodayco.com or X @katecperez_.
