BIZARRE

U.S. Man Freed in Iraq

Held 9 months in captivity by Shiite group.

A U.S. man was released Saturday from captivity in Iraq after being imprisoned for nine months by a Shiite militia that targets Americans. In a press conference outside the Green Zone in Baghdad, lawmakers showed U.S.-issued military and contractor ID that identified the man as Randy Michael Hultz. He gave only a few details, saying he had been taken hostage in June 2011 by the Promised Day Brigade, a branch of the Mahdi Army controlled by the anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The man wore a U.S. Army uniform during the press conference, and said he had been in the army for 15 months before returning to Iraq in a “civilian capacity."