American held captive in Iraq released

An American national reportedly held captive for around nine months in Iraq has been handed over to the US embassy, CNN reported.

The man had earlier been handed over to the UN office in Baghdad by a movement led by a radical Shia cleric named Muqtada al-Sadr, the UN mission in Iraq said.

The American, wearing a military uniform, spoke to reporters in Baghdad but did not provide his name. He said he deployed to Iraq in 2003 and spent 15 months in a military capacity.

The al-Sadr identified him as Randy Michael.

He said he was taken hostage by activists of the Yom al-Maoud - also known as the Promised Day Brigade -- under the direction of Muqtada al-Sadr, and kept at various locations within Baghdad.

He said he was told his release was for "humanitarian reasons" and that there was no exchange involved.

A US State Department official confirmed that the UN transferred a citizen to the American embassy in Baghdad. The official, however, declined to offer details, including the man's name.
Maha al-Douri, a lawmaker and a member of the al-Sadr movement, said Michael was in captivity for nine months.

A spokesman for the US embassy in Baghdad said officials were working "to verify the information regarding the alleged US captive".

A Pentagon official said the Defence Department was also looking into the report, but added that to the best of officials' knowledge, no active duty military person was reported missing in Iraq.