Al Qaeda kills Egyptian envoy in Iraq

BAGHDAD - Al Qaeda's Iraq wing has killed Egypt's envoy to Iraq five days after he was kidnapped.

Confirming the group's claim, Egypt said Ihab el-Sherif "lost his life at the hands of terrorism which trades in Islam".

His abduction on a city street on Saturday was the first in a series of attacks on diplomats, apparently aimed at blocking efforts by the government to obtain the international legitimacy it seeks, especially from cautious Arab states troubled by its US backing and sectarian links to Shi'ite, non-Arab Iran.

In a statement posted on the internet, the violent Sunni Muslim group led by Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said: "We, al Qaeda in Iraq, announce that the judgment of God has been implemented against the ambassador of the infidels.

"Oh enemy of God, Ihab el-Sherif, this is your punishment." The group posted a video showing the blindfolded hostage identifying himself as Sherif, but did not show the killing.

Iraqi government spokesman Laith Kubba offered condolences to his family: "If this is true, we totally condemn it, and it reveals the ugly face of such networks, who are not Iraqis but come to Iraq to spread chaos and pronounce people 'infidels'."

"We were surprised that this happened. We are Muslims and he was in an Arab country," said the envoy's 19-year-old daughter Anji, weeping as she spoke to journalists in Cairo. "He had told me not to be afraid because Iraq is an Arab country."

The chief US military spokesman in Iraq, Brigadier General Donald Alston, said he believed the attacks were a reaction to a meeting in Brussels last month at which dozens of foreign governments rallied round the new administration in Baghdad.

Days before Sherif was kidnapped, Iraq had announced that Egypt would make him the first Arab diplomat in Baghdad with the full rank of ambassador since the US invasion in 2003.

Washington and Baghdad have urged diplomats not to pull out, but strikes on them may have rattled some embassies.

Pakistan withdrew its ambassador from Baghdad on Tuesday after his motorcade was attacked by gunmen. Bahrain's envoy was shot in the hand in his car in an apparent kidnap attempt.

An earlier al Qaeda statement threatened more such strikes.

Egypt, one of the friendliest Arab powers toward Washington, had never confirmed it planned to upgrade its mission's status in Iraq to ambassador level.

It said Sherif's mission had been to make contact with all sections of Iraqi society but did not comment directly on heavy hints from Iraqi officials that they believed he might have been in touch with insurgents from Iraq's Sunni Arab minority.

Iraqi Interior Minister Bayan Jabor repeated on Thursday his view that some foreign diplomats were in contact with insurgents but he again refused to say to which envoys he was referring.

He also told a news conference that an eight-strong al Qaeda cell had been uncovered in the past few days among officers and other members of a police commando brigade; they had planned to kill top officials and blow up his ministry's headquarters.

- REUTERS