Issa Salomi, 60, the U.S. Army linguist held captive for two months by a Shiite militia group in Baghdad, is set to return to his family this weekend in the San Diego suburb of El Cajon.
Salomi was released from captivity a week ago and has been at an Army medical facility at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio. His ex-wife and four of his six children live in the San Diego area.
His family, besieged by reporters, issued a statement asking for privacy: "We are preparing to reunite after what has been a very trying and emotional experience. Many of us have spoken to Issa on the phone since he has been going through reintegration procedures in San Antonio over the last few days, and he has expressed so many feelings — great joy, gratitude and, also, fatigue."
The statement says that Salomi, a naturalized American citizen who immigrated to the U.S. from Iraq in 1991, needs rest after his ordeal: "He has been traveling for many days and we all request peace and a chance to clear our minds in solitude. Please help us to help Issa’s reintegration be as painless and smooth as possible, and refrain from contacting us directly."
The circumstances behind Salomi’s kidnapping and release remain unclear. He appeared in a hostage video in which he appeared to denounce the United States. The video was released by the Iranian-backed group the League of the Righteous.
–Tony Perry in San Diego
Photo: Issa Salomi in a still image from a videotape released by a Shiite militia group.
Credit: Associated Press