08.04.2026 00:56
American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was announced to be released today after being kidnapped in Iraq, confessed in footage taken during her captivity that she gathered intelligence for the U.S. In the footage released by the Iran-linked Shia militia group Kataib Hezbollah, Kittleson stated, "I collected information, but it was not enough, and they asked for more. During my last trip, they requested political and intelligence-related information about the Iraqi people's perspective on the war, and I conducted studies on this matter."
The Iran-linked Shia militia group Kataib Hezbollah, operating in Iraq, released images of American journalist Shelly Kittleson in captivity. In the footage, the journalist confessed to conducting intelligence-gathering activities for the U.S. consul in Baghdad.
“I RECEIVED TRAINING FROM AMERICAN OFFICERS FOR THREE MONTHS”
The American journalist stated in the footage taken while in captivity, "My name is Shelly Renee Kittleson. I am a freelance journalist and an American citizen. I live in Italy. I speak English, Italian, and Arabic. I have been working as a war correspondent in Iraq since 2015. I am in contact with the Peshmerga and the Iraqi Armed Forces. I have also worked in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Syria. In 2025, I received training from American officers in Syria for three months. I did the same in Ukraine," she said.
“I COLLECTED INFORMATION BUT IT WAS NOT ENOUGH AND THEY ASKED FOR MORE”
Kittleson, who admitted to gathering intelligence on behalf of the U.S., said, "The American consul in Baghdad asked me for information about Hashd al-Shaabi and resistance groups Kataib Hezbollah and al-Nujaba, particularly about the Secretary-General of Kataib Hezbollah, Ahmed al-Hamidawi, and other leaders whose names I do not remember. I collected information, but it was not enough, and they asked for more. During my last trip, they asked me for political and intelligence-related information regarding the Iraqi people's perspective on the war, and I worked on that. I also worked on the grassroots level where the resistance groups are based, including the leaders," she said.
"TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND STUPID POLICIES"
Kittleson, criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump, stated, "As American citizens, our safety was better before the Trump administration. We could freely roam the streets of Baghdad without needing security escorts. Now our lives are under threat, and this is entirely the result of the Trump administration and its stupid policies. Thousands of Americans working here lost their jobs and left. Families living in America have become unable to find money to survive. This is entirely the result of the Trump administration and its stupid policies. I demand that the brave men who are members of this armed resistance and defend their country release me. I promise I will never do anything to harm their country. I know these brave and honorable men can do this. Because I am a woman, and they respect women," she expressed.
Kataib Hezbollah, which has been listed as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. since 2009, announced in a statement released today that Kittleson, who was kidnapped in Baghdad a week ago, has been released and was instructed to leave Iraq immediately.
KITTLESON'S KIDNAPPING
Kittleson, who has been reporting on the Middle East for various institutions for over a decade, was kidnapped on Tuesday, March 31, in a busy street in the center of Baghdad, Iraq's capital. According to three senior Iraqi officials, Kittleson was forcibly put into a vehicle and quickly taken away from the city. Iraqi officials were able to track the vehicle to a highway outside the city, and the car used by the kidnappers flipped over during the chase. However, the kidnappers quickly removed the American journalist from the wrecked vehicle and transferred her to another car, managing to escape. Iraqi officials stated that one of the suspects had been captured and that the individual was a member of Kataib Hezbollah.