Cairo mourns murdered diplomat

[ECH1969]

A deep sense of shock has fallen over Egypt at news of the murder of its chief diplomat to Baghdad, reports Dina Ezzat

Overwhelmed with shock at the killing of Ehab El-Sherif, head of the Egyptian diplomatic mission in Baghdad, at the hands of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Cairo is considering long and short-term measures to secure its staff in the Iraqi capital.

Iraqi and Egyptian sources say the 11-member staff of the Egyptian mission in Baghdad might have to be pulled out of Iraq "for now". Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit ordered a reduction in the size of the staff of the mission but insisted that Egypt would keep its embassy, with "the Egyptian flag on it".

Iraq's Al-Qaeda group, led by Jordanian Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, announced Sherif's death yesterday in an online statement: "We, Al-Qaeda in Iraq, announce that the judgment of God has been implemented against the ambassador of the infidels ... Oh enemy of God, Ehab El-Sherif, this is your punishment in this life."

http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/750/fr3.htm