Gunmen kidnap top Egyptian diplomat

AN Egyptian envoy expected to become Iraq’s first Arab ambassador since its new government took office was kidnapped in Baghdad, weeks after arriving in the country, diplomats said yesterday.

Witnesses said gunmen accosted Ihab al-Sherif as he stopped to buy a newspaper late Saturday, pistol-whipped him and accused him of being an “American spy”. The kidnapping could undermine US-backed efforts to encourage Iraq’s Arab neighbours to send high ranking diplomats to Baghdad.

The abduction occurred hours before US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales paid a heavily guarded surprise visit to Iraq. Gonzales praised Iraqi’s commitment to democracy in the face of sustained deadly attacks by insurgents.