(CPJ/IFEX) - New York, August 9, 2006 - The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes reports that the U.S. military arrested four Iraqi men in the kidnapping of American freelance journalist Jill Carroll in Baghdad today.
"In a time of increasing dangers to journalists in Iraq, it is certainly welcome news that these four individuals have been detained and will be held accountable for the kidnapping and lengthy detention of our colleague Jill Carroll," said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon.
"While these arrests are a significant and positive development, and mark an important step towards ending impunity in crimes against the press in Iraq, they come at a time when four local Iraqi journalists have been murdered in the last 10 days and journalists of all backgrounds are being targeted for violence. More must be done to make it safer to report the news in Iraq," said Simon.
