"Shout It From The Rooftops: Jill is FREE!!!..."
Jill Carroll has been released, and she looks sound of mind and body. It's a moment to breathe a sigh of relief.

Here's what her father told reporters yesterday: "

...Jill called me directly. And it was quite a wakeup call, to say the least. And she was -- she's doing well. I was glad to see her on TV this morning. She's apparently in good health, and mentally strong, and we're all very pleased about that...

She was great. That's all I've got to say. There won't be any more until after we meet Jill whenever that takes place, tomorrow or the next day...

However, her friend Natasha from Mental Mayhem writes:

Word is now that Jill is inside the Green Zone and is being given a health checkup. Jill has apparently made a statement saying she was unsure why she was abducted but that she was treated well by her captors. The State Department is now weighing in, confirming her release, with a spokesperson saying: "I can confirm her release. This is great news...we are very pleased." Jill was handed over to the Iraqi Islamic Party office in Amiriya, western Baghdad, by an unknown group, "She is healthy and we handed her over to the Americans," Nasir al-Ani, a party member, told The Associated Press. Shout it from the rooftops: Jill is FREE!!...

A little bit more about Jill's release has trickled in and more is sure to be known in due time. In her taped interview she said: "They just came to me this morning and told me they will release me." Apparently she was dropped off, perhaps by her abductors, near the Iraqi Islamic Party offices in Baghdad, where she walked in and identified herself as "Jill Carroll." She then gave them a note written in Arabic that apparently asked the group to help. It then appears that she was moved into the party's main compound where she made a few phone calls to the embassy and to her family before she was interviewed by the group for Baghdad TV ...

I've heard speculation that the kidnapping was a set-up, or a publicity stunt. I've thought that over, and I disagree.

Baghdad is dangerous for journalists, but her reasons for being there are quite solid. If you're a young reporter, Iraq is the place to be if you want to make a name for yourself. Also, Iraq is one of the top locations where you'll find news worth covering.

We have no way of knowing what went on through the back channels; perhaps her kidnappers were in fact paid off ... or perhaps they've decided to partake in the political process. I think it's paid off for her.

Plus, unlike her more-established counterparts huddling together in the Green Zone, Jill's taken the trouble to get to know the Iraqi's and the culture. Her Arab friends, like Natasha, have stood by her, as has alot of the Arab media. I think it might have helped save her life.

Click to MentalMayhem for updates, and joyful, meticulous coverage.

(above photo from MentalMayhem, Jill's on the right, and I don't think it's a recent photo)

UPDATE: LittleGreenFootballs is covering a video taped interview the kidnappers did with Jill Carroll. She basically praises her captors, and urges Bush to stop the war. Remember, though -- she was in captivity when the video was made, and might have made the reasonable decision to try to save her own life.

I seem to remember some video's of the American hostages captured by the Iranians ... in which the prisoners talked about what stand up guys their captors were. While covered with bruises.  ¶ 7:50 AM