Iraqi interpreter freed. CBS Journo (initials RB) still held.

And what do you know?

It looks like Mookie al Sadr would appear to be involved in it up to his chubby neck. al Sadr Claims to have negotiated the release but details are murky and clearly, there's more to the story.

An Iraqi interpreter kidnapped in the southern city of Basra was freed Wednesday, but the CBS journalist seized with him this week was still being held.

Earlier in the day, the head of the Basra office of Moktada al-Sadr, the anti-American Shiite cleric, said his group had successfully negotiated the release of both men, though only the interpreter was freed. “We will keep working and we hope this matter will be over in the next 24 hours,” said the official in Basra, Hareth al-Ethari.

The details surrounding the kidnapping remained murky. They were abducted on Sunday from the Sultan Palace Hotel by men dressed as security officials, and there has been some suggestion by security officials that Mr. Sadr’s group may have had some connection with the kidnapping. Mr. al-Ethari has acknowledged that one of two men who security officials say have links to Mr. Sadr’s group, and possibly the kidnapping, was at the hotel at the time.

Coincidence? Hardly. Update beneath the fold.

On Tuesday, Mr. al-Ethari said this was only coincidence and denied that the group had any role in the kidnapping. He said on Wednesday that his group had been negotiating through an intermediary and did not know who carried out the kidnapping or what their demands were.

Update: In other journalist hostage (bad) news. The body of a kidnapped Iraqi journalist was found yesterday in Baghdad. He had been missing two days and his name?
It was Hisham Michwet.