Sunni Appeals for Release of U.S. Reporter

[Judi Lynn]

Sunni Appeals for Release of U.S. Reporter
Leading Sunni Politician Calls on Kidnappers to Release American Journalist As Deadline Nears

By SAMEER N. YACOUB Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq Jan 20, 2006 — A top Sunni politician appealed Friday for the release of American journalist Jill Carroll and urged U.S. and Iraqi forces to stop arresting Iraqi women as a deadline set by the reporter's kidnappers was set to elapse.

The kidnappers had threatened to kill Carroll, 28, unless all female detainees are freed by Friday. No hour was specified, and there was no indication that any prisoners had been released.

In a statement aired Friday by two major Arab television stations, Carroll's father, Jim, described his daughter as "an innocent woman" and told the captors that sparing her life would "serve your cause more than her death."

A U.S. Embassy official said he was unaware of any contacts between a high-level hostage release team and the kidnappers. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case, said U.S. authorities were meeting with various figures including political leaders, particularly from the Sunni Arab community, who may have links to the kidnappers.
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http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1525210&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312