Journalist Held by U.S., Group Says

An Iraqi freelance journalist working for Al Arabiya television and Associated Press has been detained by U.S. troops in Fallouja since last week, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday.

The U.S. military said it was not aware of any such detention.

Citing another Al Arabiya correspondent as its source, the group said the Arabic satellite station lost contact with Abdel Kader Saadi, a reporter and photographer living and working in the Sunni Muslim city, on Nov. 11.

U.S. forces launched a massive assault on Fallouja last week. U.S. artillery was still pounding the city Wednesday as troops hunted remaining guerrillas, days after Washington said its offensive had ended rebel control.

The committee quoted Al Arabiya as saying Saadi had been detained in a mosque along with several other civilians. He had been wearing a flak jacket with the word “press” on it in Arabic and English.

“Saadi should be released immediately,” said Ann Cooper, the group’s executive director. “The U.S. military has no basis to continue holding Saadi, who was clearly working as a journalist at the time he was detained.”

Lt. Col. Joe Yoswa, a Defense Department spokesman, said the military had no information on such an incident.

“We are unaware of any journalist being detained by U.S. forces during combat operations in Fallouja, or any request from news media about missing journalists in Fallouja,” he said.