Iraq Urges Arab States To Send Diplomats
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8 July 2005 -- Iraq has called on Arab and Muslim countries to prove their commitment to the fight against terrorism by sending ambassadors to Baghdad.
The call from the Iraqi Foreign Ministry comes after the Egyptian government confirmed its top envoy to Iraq had been killed there.
Earlier, Al-Qaeda said it had killed Ihab al-Sharif in a statement posted on an Internet website. Al-Sharif was kidnapped in Baghdad on 2 July.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak insisted his country will continue to support Iraq.
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani called for a "war of annihilation" against Al-Qaeda and other groups that include foreign Islamic extremists.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan condemned the killing of the Egyptian diplomat, calling it a "callous act" that cannot be justified.
(AP)
See also:
Al-Qaeda Says It Has Killed Egyptian Envoy
For RFE/RL's full coverage of developments in Iraq, see "The New Iraq"