Reporter who was kidnapped in Baghdad was known for pursuing gutsy, low-budget assignments

BAGHDAD (AP) — American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson often worked without formal assignments from editors and on a shoestring budget, taking shared taxis to lawless corners of Iraq where militia rule outweighs government control.

Kittleson, 49, has lived abroad for years, using Rome as her base for a time and building