Undiplomatic measures

The kidnap of a senior Egyptian diplomat in Baghdad has sent shockwaves through Egypt's diplomatic corps and sounded alarm bells in many Arab capitals, reports Dina Ezzat

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In a race against time, the Egyptian government is currently exploring all avenues to secure the release of Ehab El-Sherif, head of Egypt's diplomatic mission to Iraq. El-Sherif was kidnapped on Saturday night close to his Baghdad residence despite heavy security presence in the neighbourhood. He was reportedly wounded by his kidnappers.

On Tuesday the Abu Mosaab Al-Zarqawi-led Al-Qaeda wing in Iraq claimed responsibility for the kidnap. According to Iraqi sources the abduction followed a series of meetings El-Sherif had conducted with members of the Iraqi government. Yesterday pictures of identification cards belonging to El-Sherif were posted on a Web site presumed to be close to Al-Qaeda sources.

El-Sherif, who is in his late forties, arrived in Iraq a little over a month ago to head Egypt's diplomatic mission in Iraq. His kidnap, in addition to raising serious concerns for El-Sherif's personal safety, also imposes constraints on the political role Egypt might have played in Baghdad.

"The situation is very serious and the kidnappers have to be addressed in a very careful way. We cannot take any risks," commented one Egyptian official.

According to an Internet statement posted on Tuesday "the Egyptian ambassador has been kidnapped by our mujahideen and is now under [their] control". The statement contained no threats of physical harm and no political or financial demands.

Egypt, say sources, is already "sending messages" through leading Iraqi figures to the kidnappers in an attempt to secure El-Sherif's release. A similar incident last July, when a member of Egypt's diplomatic mission was held hostage, ended in his release following negotiations.

The Tuesday Internet statement, issued three days after the kidnap and amid growing rumours that several governments, Arab and foreign, were planning to pull their diplomatic representatives from Iraq, came hours after the heads of the Bahraini and Pakistani diplomatic missions had been attacked in Baghdad.

Before moving to Baghdad, a few weeks ago, El-Sherif had served as deputy assistant foreign minister for Al-Mashreq affairs, a post he occupied for two years. Before that he had served three years as chargé d'affaires in Israel.

Following his arrival in Baghdad, El-Sherif attempted to maintain a low profile to better facilitate his mission of building bridges with all Iraqi groups. However, last month Iraq's Foreign Minister Houchiar Zibari and former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi told reporters in Brussels and Cairo respectively that El-Sherif will be soon heading an embassy in Baghdad and not a mere diplomatic mission. Instructions to this effect were never declared in Cairo; on the contrary, Cairo instructed El-Sherif that the diplomatic status of his mission remains the same.

Egyptian diplomatic sources, speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly on condition of anonymity, categorically deny El-Sherif was about to present letters of accreditation to the Iraqi president upgrading the level of his diplomatic representation in Baghdad. Cairo, they say, fully realises such a step would be seen as a sign of support for the US-backed government.

"Iraqi officials had requested that Egypt upgrade its diplomatic representation since to do so would signal a vote of confidence from Egypt. Cairo responded by saying that now was not the right time for such a move," one diplomat told the Weekly. He added that even when the Iraqi request was supported by Washington the Foreign Ministry had insisted it undertake its diplomatic duties according to its own considerations.

On Tuesday night a US Secretary of State spokesman said Washington had offered whatever help it could in an attempt to secure the release of El-Sherif. "We, along with the Iraqi government, are concerned about the safety and well-being of any individual who is in Iraq to try to help the Iraqi people build a democratic, more prosperous and stable country for themselves," said Sean McCormack.

In an official statement earlier this week the Foreign Ministry said Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Abul-Gheit was in constant contact with his Iraqi counterpart as he follows up on the details of the case. Abul-Gheit appealed to the kidnappers "to spare this Egyptian diplomat who was working in Baghdad on a mission to serve the common interests of the Iraqi and Egyptian peoples".

The kidnap comes at a time when the Iraqi government was hoping to persuade Arab capitals to upgrade their representation. "This is a message from those opposed to the Iraqi government that Cairo should not upgrade its level of representation to Baghdad... and it has added significance given that many Arab states have said that they will only upgrade their own representation should Egypt take the lead," said one Iraqi diplomat in Cairo.

Laith Kobba, a spokesman for the Iraqi government, told reporters the kidnap was an attempt on the part of militant groups in Iraq to intimidate foreign diplomats in Baghdad.

Informed Arab diplomats say the kidnap has already either "reversed or restrained" plans for several high-level Arab official visits. "This is going to further isolate Iraq's government from its Arab neighbours," commented one diplomat.

Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa condemned the kidnapping and appealed for the release of El-Sherif. "Such acts confuse the Arab public as it tries to understand what is going on in Iraq," he said, adding that the presence of Arab diplomatic missions in Baghdad shows that the Arab world has a "genuine desire to continue contacts with all Iraqis and affirms the Arab identity of Iraq".

Meanwhile, El-Sherif's family in Cairo remains unavailable for comment. "They are deeply worried about his personal safety. They do not wish to say much beyond appeal for his safety and release," said one diplomat friend.

Khaled El-Oqba, El-Sherif's brother-in- law, told the Weekly that yesterday's news of the Al-Qaeda's wing in Iraq assuming responsibility for the kidnap had come as a "terrifying shock. We are sure that President Mubarak and the Foreign Ministry are doing everything in their power to secure the safety and release of Ehab El-Sherif and we are praying for his safety," El-Oqba said.

He further appealed to the kidnappers "to release Ehab El-Sherif for the sake of his 90-year-old father who wishes to see his son before he dies and for the sake of his wife and two daughters."