Mike Baker

Rubio, in a statement, said that the State Department, quote, extends its appreciation to the FBI, the Department of War, U.S.

personnel across multiple agencies, and the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council and our Iraqi partners for their assistance in securing her release, end quote.

Now, I want to point out that there were, in fact, warning signs leading up to all of this.

According to a source familiar with the matter who told CNN, the U.S.

government warned Kittleson shortly before her disappearance that Khadib Hezbollah was actively plotting to kidnap or kill her.

That warning came while she was already reporting inside Iraq.

The U.S.

Embassy has repeatedly warned Americans to leave Iraq since tensions with Iran escalated in late February, citing the growing risk, of course, that Iranian-backed militias could target U.S.

citizens.

Kittleson's abduction marked the second known kidnapping of a foreigner by the Iran-backed proxy group in recent years.

In 2023, the group kidnapped an Israeli-Russian researcher and held her for more than two years.

And that, my friends, is the PDB Afternoon Bulletin for Wednesday, the 8th of April.

Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdbatthefirsttv.com.

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I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back tomorrow.

Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.

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