IRAQ: Al-Qaeda's wing in Iraq warned yesterday it would kill an Egyptian envoy kidnapped in Baghdad four days ago.
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Sunni radicals made the threat in a Web statement titled "Sharp sword against the infidels' ambassador".
"The sharia court of al-Qaeda organisation in Iraq has decided to hand over the apostate, the ambassador of Egypt, which is allied to Jews and Christians, to the mujahideen to ... kill him," it said.
There was no immediate reaction from Cairo or from the Iraqi government, which earlier in the day renewed criticism of Ihab el-Sherif's decision to step out alone on Saturday to buy a newspaper, allowing gunmen to grab him and drive him away.
Earlier yesterday, al-Qaeda posted web pictures of Mr Sherif's identification cards, including his driving licence.
Iraq and the US are trying to prevent an exodus of diplomats after an ambush prompted Pakistan to pull out its ambassador and Bahrain's envoy was also shot. The Pakistani and Bahraini diplomats were both attacked by gunmen in their cars on Tuesday.
The head of Iraq's new, Shia-led government called on countries not to withdraw.
"The terrorists are targeting not only Iraqis, although it is happening inside Iraq," Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari told reporters. "We hope all countries will stand beside us, to bolster the democratic process and continue to carry out their political work in Iraq, mindful of security procedures." Washington, keen to see acceptance for its Shi'ite Iraqi allies in the wider, mainly Sunni, Arab world, echoed the plea.
Iraq's Interior Minister Bayan Jabor told reporters during a break in a cabinet meeting that the government has "a plan to protect diplomats after these incidents". He gave no details.
He also said some diplomats were lax over security.
"The Egyptian ambassador went to a hot-spot alone and he bears responsibility for that," Mr or said.
The American military is holding five US citizens, apparently including a Los Angeles filmmaker, among more than 10,000 detainees in Iraq on suspicion of possible terrorist or other criminal activity, the Pentagon said yesterday.
All of the five are being held without charges or access to lawyers. Three have dual Iraqi citizenship, one dual Iranian citizenship and a fifth man, arrested late last year in Iraq, dual Jordanian citizenship.
Of the four arrested this year, one was taken into custody in April, two in May and another in June.
Defence department spokesman Bryan Whitman declined to identify the five. But the New York Times on Wednesday identified one as Cyrus Kar (44) an aspiring filmmaker from Los Angeles who was arrested in Iraq in May.