American contractor kidnapped in Iraq

Washington Post Foreign Service
Saturday, February 6, 2010; 11:11 AM

BAGHDAD — The Pentagon has acknowledged that an American contractor for the Defense Department is missing in Baghdad, an apparent confirmation of a Shiite militant group’s claim this week that it abducted an American in Baghdad last month.

The case marks the first reported kidnapping of an American citizen in Iraq in more than 18 months.

The Pentagon said in a statement that contractor Issa T. Salomi, 60, of El Cajon, Calif., has been missing since Jan. 23. He was last seen in Baghdad, where he worked alongside U.S. soldiers. Salomi’s wife, Muna, confirmed that the man in the video is her husband.

Salomi was abducted in Karrada, an upscale neighborhood in central Baghdad, after militants tricked him under the pretense of meeting with distant relatives, the Associated Press reported, citing Iraqi defense officials. The AP said Salomi is of Iraqi origin.

The League of the Righteous, a militant group that has kidnapped Westerners in Iraq in the past, posted a statement and video on its Web site showing the hostage. The statement demanded the release of militants who have fought U.S. forces.

The Pentagon said in a statement that “search and recovery efforts are ongoing” but disclosed no additional information.

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