WAR: Egypt's Ambassador kidnapped in Iraq

Just one month after arriving in Baghdad and Egypt's top diplomat the new ambassador to Iraq has been kidnapped in Baghdad. Saturday evening two BMW's containing gunmen blocked Ihab el-Sherif's way and kidnapped him leaving Iraqi police to find his undamaged car close to his home.



While some hope may be taken though from the fact that most Egyptian nationals who have been kidnapped in this are were released unharmed, suggestions for the reasoning of this targetting vary.

Ideas for the reason of the kidnapping range from the claim that it was a response to an Egyptian offer to train Iraq's security forces [which has now been withdrawn] to a possible response to suggestions that Ihab el-Sherif was to become the first full-ranking Arab ambassador to the U.S.-backed Iraqi government.



Related News Links:
today.reuters.co.uk[ /url]


[edit on 3/7/05 by JAK]

[edit on 3-7-2005 by John bull 1]

[edit on 4-7-2005 by John bull 1]

I gave it a "YES" vote. Good opening, non-bias and great commentary

Wow, this is truly aweful. How could this happen. Ambassdors, especially in the middle east usually have a convoy of protectees and security.

More than likely Egypt will step-up thier roll in iraq and maybe have more of a military presence due to this kidnapping.....IMO

Or it could be used as a major blow to Mubarak. He's fallen out of favour with Washington lately. If he is undermined by having to negotiate his abassadors release it will weaken him politically.

Good article, but your grammar is HORRIBLE. You may want to work on that, and don't be in such a rush to post the story.

Apparently he was buying a newspaper when he was grabbed.

I find it very telling that the Egyptian press says he was kidnapped (which he was), while Al-Jazeera says he was captured.

Egypt's top envoy to Iraq has been captured in Baghdad just weeks after arriving in the war-torn country, Egyptian diplomats say.

Al-Jazeera

So are they like gonna send in the SAS to get him out?

Originally posted by subz
Or it could be used as a major blow to Mubarak. He's fallen out of favour with Washington lately. If he is undermined by having to negotiate his abassadors release it will weaken him politically.

Nice point subz, but in addition, Mubarak is and has been losing political power at home...in Egypt. The people are increasingly voicing that they want a pro-democratic govenment and a more legitimate democratic styled election process. He is already politically weakened, this will simply compound matters more.





seekerof

Zarqawi group threatens envoy.

The group of Al-Qaeda's frontman in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, threatened in a purported message posted on the Internet to kill Egypt's top envoy to Iraq whom the group says it abducted.

"The Islamic court of the Al-Qaeda Organization in the Land of Two Rivers has decided to refer the ambassador of the state of Egypt, an ally of the Jews and the Christians, to the mujahedeens so that they can execute him," said the text.

Link

Even if the "Al-Qaeda Organization in the Land of Two Rivers" does not have the envoy, the media statement alone will further the disorganisation in Iraq.

Sanc'.

Fox News is quoting AP which just said that "Al Qaeda in Iraq is claiming to have killed the Egyptian Ambassador"

looking for confirmation, so far only a breaking news headline on the fox website
www.foxnews.com...

[edit on 7-7-2005 by worldwatcher]