U.S. Contractor Kidnapped in Iraq; His Identity, That of Firm Withheld

An American contractor was kidnapped Monday in the vicinity of the Iraqi capital, according to U.S. officials, who said the identities of the man and his employer were being withheld at the request of the victim’s family.

“We are actively involved in trying to locate him,” said Robert J. Callahan, a U.S. Embassy spokesman. “No one has taken responsibility and there have been no demands made.”

U.S. officials released few details of the kidnapping, saying only that the contractor was working on a reconstruction project in Iraq.

There have been more than 150 reported kidnappings in the country in the last year, most of them involving Iraqi citizens. The last widely reported abduction occurred Saturday when a Pakistani Embassy employee was taken.

An Iraqi American abducted with three Romanian journalists last month was still missing.

Callahan said a special team of U.S. investigators based in Baghdad was looking for the missing contractor and working with Iraqi authorities.

Kidnappers have become a major threat in Iraq, with insurgents and criminals snatching people to collect large ransoms and score political points.

“The vast majority of those taken are Iraqis who are taken for monetary gain,” Callahan said.

He noted that U.S. policy prohibits paying ransoms because the practice could encourage additional kidnappings. Callahan advised Americans working in Iraq “to take every conceivable caution.”

“They should never establish a pattern. They should vary times and routes and limit their exposure when on the road,” he said.

Before dawn today, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld arrived in Baghdad for an unannounced visit. He planned to meet with President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Ibrahim Jafari.

On Monday, three Marines were wounded when two cars driven by suicide bombers exploded outside the entrance of a U.S. military camp in the western town of Qaim. Iraq’s Al Qaeda wing claimed responsibility for the attacks.

In a statement posted on a militant website, the Al Qaeda Organization for Holy War in Iraq declared, “Members of Al Qaeda’s martyrdom brigades carried out ... heroic attacks on American sites.”

Witnesses said the blasts were followed by fierce clashes between U.S. forces and Iraqi insurgents. Qaim is near the Syrian border. American officials say it is a staging area for insurgents.

Times news services were used in compiling this report.