A U.S. Army linguist returned to his family in Southern California after more than two months in captivity in Baghdad, according to a National Guard spokeswoman, AP reported. Issa Salomi arrived home in San Diego on Saturday and was «resting and beginning his adjustment back to normal life,» Maj. Kimberly Holman said in an emailed statement. «He wants to again share that he is healthy, is in good spirits and he adds that he is looking forward to a good home-cooked meal and a few good nights' rest,» Holman wrote. Salomi, 60, arrived in Texas on Tuesday for medical tests and debriefings with Army officials at Fort Sam Houston. Salomi has not made a public appearance since the Pentagon announced his release March 27, but issued a statement saying he was «safe, healthy and unharmed.» He said it was one of the most satisfying moments of his life when his plane touched down on U.S. soil in San Antonio. The family asked for privacy and planned no immediate public appearances or statements. An extremist group claimed responsibility for the Jan. 23 kidnapping and posted a video online that showed a man wearing military fatigues, reading a list of demands for the release of militants, the prosecution of Blackwater guards and an immediate U.S. troop withdrawal. The group issued a statement indicating Salomi's release came in exchange for the release by the Iraqi government of four of its members. -- SPA
