Iraq media campaign to free Jill Carroll continues
By Scott Peterson
| Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor has reinvigorated its Iraqi media campaign to free journalist Jill Carroll, who was on assignment for the paper when she was kidnapped on Jan. 7, 2006. The effort is focused on reminding Iraqis of her situation as she marks two months in captivity.
Television stations with national and local reach in Iraq are broadcasting public-service announcements in Arabic that carry the message: "Kidnapped American journalist Jill Carroll loves Iraq, and now she needs your help. It is time for Jill Carroll to come home safely."
The videos have run on Iraq's largest private station, Al Sharqiya, and the state-run Al Iraqiya channel. Kuwait's Al Rai satellite TV channel, which received and aired the third hostage videotape of Ms. Carroll on Feb. 9, is also running the announcements.
The 60- and 90-second spots include quotations from Iraqis speaking of how they consider Carroll to be an innocent sister or daughter, and asking for her captors to see her in the same way and release her. They also include a quotation from an earlier public statement by Jill's mother, Mary Beth Carroll.
The longer spot includes an emotional segment from a press conference of Sunni leader Adnan al-Dulaimi, whom Carroll was supposed to interview on Jan. 7, calling for her release. She was kidnapped near his office.
The videos were scripted by the Monitor in Baghdad. At the paper's request, CNN assisted in their production. Several other Sunni and Shiite channels are expected to run the spots in coming days. International broadcasters have access through an APTN global news feed.
Iraqi television stations have agreed to run the messages free of charge, in the spirit of a public-service announcement for a captive colleague.
The videos first received a limited airing in mid-February.
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