US to release six Iraqi women prisoners

BAGHDAD - The Iraqi Justice Ministry said yesterday that United States forces would release six Iraqi women prisoners but that the move was not related to the demands of a militant group who kidnapped an American journalist.

The kidnappers of Jill Carroll have threatened to kill her unless all Iraqi women detainees are freed.

The US military did not confirm the releases. A spokesman said it could not discuss individual cases of detainees or reviews.

But a US official earlier confirmed for the first time that eight women were being held.

"We have eight females. They are being held for the same reasons as the others, namely that they are a threat to security," said Lieutenant Aaron Henninger, a spokesman for the US military detentions operation.

About 14,000 men are held at Abu Ghraib and other jails on suspicion of insurgent activity.

Jill Carroll, 28, a freelance journalist working for the Christian Science Monitor, was seized in Baghdad on January 7. Her translator was killed.

This week one of the newspaper's editors issued a plea for Carroll's release.

"We respectfully call on Jill's captors to exercise justice and mercy and let our innocent colleague go free," said Washington bureau chief Dave Cook.

He said the newspaper had not heard directly from the kidnappers.

Asked if the Monitor has been working with the Government to secure Carroll's release, Mr Cook said: "We've been exploring every option available to us."

Arabic television station al-Jazeera aired a brief video on Tuesday showing the first glimpse of Carroll since she was seized.

The video showed her speaking to camera, although her voice was not broadcast.

- REUTERS