Six Iraqi Female Detainees To Be Released

Abducted journalist Jill Carrol (file photo) (epa) 19 January 2006 -- Iraq's Justice Ministry said today that U.S. forces would release six Iraqi women prisoners. But the ministry said the move was not related to the demands of a militant group that kidnapped a U.S. journalist.

The Arabic television channel Al-Jazeera said on 17 January that the kidnappers of Jill Carroll had threatened to kill her unless all Iraqi women detainees were freed. The channel aired a brief video the same day showing Carroll, 28, a freelance journalist working for "The Christian Science Monitor."

The U.S. military did not confirm the releases would take place. A spokesman said it could not discuss individual cases of detainees or ongoing reviews. The military said on 18 January it was holding eight female prisoners in Iraq.

(Reuters)