Iraq: Shiite Militias Behind Abduction of Three Americans
Police in Iraq say two powerful Shiite militias are behind the abduction of three Americans who were kidnapped last Friday.
The three men were doing contact work for General Dynamics. Unknown gunmen seized them from a private residence in the southeastern Dora district of Baghdad.
An Iraqi police commander said one of the two militias, Asaib Ahl al-Haq or Saraya al-Salam, were likely behind the kidnapping.
The commander said "nobody can do anything in that neighborhood without the approval of those militias."
The Western security official confirmed that intelligence assessments had narrowed down the suspects to those two groups.
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is working with Iraqi authorities to locate the American contractors. Kidnappings in the region have been on the rise.
