By ERIC TUCKER
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A U.S. official says an American citizen has been kidnapped in Afghanistan by a Taliban-affiliated group and that authorities are working to rescue him.
The official says Mark Frerichs of Lombard, Illinois, was believed to have been kidnapped by the Haqqani network.
Newsweek first reported the kidnapping. It said Frerichs was taken into custody in the southeastern part of the country last week and that he has worked as a contractor in conflict zones.
The investigation is being led by the FBI-led Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, a multi-agency effort created by the Obama administration amid criticism over the government's response to hostage-taking.
