Long-Awaited Freedom: Israeli-Russian Student Kidnapped in Iraq Finally Released After Over Two Years

Elizabeth Tsurkov's release marks a rare victory amid a landscape fraught with peril for Americans and allies overseas. Kidnapped while conducting research in Baghdad in March 2023, this Princeton doctoral student endured over two years of captivity at the hands of Kataeb Hezbollah, a Shiite militant group with close ties to Iran’s destabilizing influence in the region. Her ordeal underscores a broader and troubling reality: the failure of foreign governments and international coalitions to clamp down on rogue actors who threaten the safety not only of researchers and civilians but also American strategic interests abroad. While Washington celebrated the successful...