A U.S. citizen was shot dead in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, the State Department announced Monday, marking a rare attack on foreign visitors to the country.
“We can confirm the death of a U.S. citizen, Stephen Edward Troell, in Baghdad. We are closely monitoring local authorities’ investigation into the cause of death,” announced the statement, which had no further comment “out of respect to the family.
Iraqi officials said Troell’s vehicle was attacked by “unknown” gunmen as he drove through central Baghdad on Monday. The weapon was fitted with a suppressor, they said, but provided no further information. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the sensitive case.
Iraq’s new Prime Minister Muhammed al-Sudani has ordered an investigation into the killing and promised “details, causes and access to the perpetrators as soon as possible.”Almost 20 years after the American-led invasion of Iraq, the country is in many ways considered safer for foreigners than for Iraqis. While scores of citizens have died during hospital fires and Iran-backed Shiite militias have killed those who criticize them, the country has attracted a steady stream of Western tourists and YouTube bloggers, without incident.
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In social media postings from 2018, Troell had shared photographs of visits to Baghdad’s renowned Mutanabi Street book market, and to one of the capital’s bridges across the Tigris River, a popular stop-off for families at sunset.
An identification card recovered from Troell’s possession indicated that he had worked with Millennium Relief and Development Services, a nonprofit aid organization headquartered in Bellaire, Tex.
A conference program from 2016, available online, suggested he had engaged in missionary work in the past. “In December of 2012, the Troell family moved to the Middle East to study Arabic and continue their effort in making the name of Jesus great among the nations,” it said.
Religious groups in Iraq and the wider Middle East often take a dim view of Christian proselytizing, and missionary work is illegal in some countries.
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A new Iraqi government, sworn in last month, faces steep challenges in tackling everything from the short term security situation to the long term challenges posed by climate change amid a population boom.
Although Sudani represents a fresh face at the top, Iraq’s political system leaves him beholden to influential political players from across the political spectrum, weakening his ability to rein in armed groups or combat the endemic corruption that has left the health and education systems barely functional.
The killing of an American citizen in downtown Baghdad will be an early test for Sudani. Under his predecessor, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, investigations into high profile assassinations were frequently opened, but the alleged perpetrators usually walked free, due to their links to powerful Iran-linked militias.
Mustafa Salim in Baghdad contributed to this report.