Christian Science Monitor-reporter Jill Carroll ble sluppet ut av fangenskapet, kanskje fordi penger skiftet eier. USAs ambassadør Khalilzad uttrykte seg noe merkelig. Han sa ingen ved ambassaden hadde betalt penger. Underforstått: Det har andre gjort. Jill Carroll er en spesiell jente. Begavet, modig, hjertevarm. Mange ville at det skulle gå henne vel. Hun spaserte inn på kontoret til det islamske partiet torsdag og leverte et brev. Hun ble kjørt til sentrum, og der ble hun intervjuet på partiets TV-stasjon. Her sa hun at hun ble behandlet overmåte vel av kidnapperne. Men det rimer dårlig med videoen hvor hun gråter hjerteskjærende.

Carroll emphasized that she had not been harmed. «It’s important people know that — that I was not harmed.»

Her comments Thursday were a marked contrast to videotapes released by the kidnappers to Arab television stations.

Carroll wept in a Jan. 30 tape on Al-Jazeera television, and the voiceover of the video said she appealed for authorities to free all women prisoners in Iraq to help win her release.

Ten days later, in a video dated Feb. 2 and aired by a private Kuwaiti TV channel, Carroll spoke in a strong voice, saying she had sent a letter to prove she was alive and now was appearing on television for the same purpose.

«I am here. I am fine. Please just do whatever they want, give them whatever they want as quickly as possible. There is a very short time. Please do it fast. That’s all.»

Her captors, calling themselves the Revenge Brigades, had demanded the release of all women detainees in Iraq by Feb. 26 and said Carroll would be killed if that didn’t happen.

U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad made an unusual appearance at Thursday’s weekly American military briefing and told reporters he learned of Carroll’s release about 1 p.m. He said none of the kidnappers was captured and that no ransom was paid by the U.S. Embassy.

«No U.S. person entered into any arrangements with anyone. By U.S. person I mean the United States mission,» Khalilzad said. (ap)