Ihab al-Sherif
Encyclopedia
Ihab el-Sherif served as Egypt
's ambassador
to Iraq
until Iraqi kidnappers murdered him in July 2005. He previously served as Egypt's chargé d'affaires
to Israel
.
to buy a newspaper.
The al-Qaeda in Iraq
organization, run by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
, once Iraq's most wanted militant, posted a message on the internet on 6 July 2005, saying that the group had killed al-Sherif. It showed a video of Sherif blindfolded, giving his name and address and acknowledging that he once worked as a diplomat in Israel.
The website, which earlier had displayed Sherif's identification cards, did not show the killing. The message said: "The Islamic court of the al-Qaeda Organization in the Land of Two Rivers has decided to refer the ambassador of the state of Egypt, an ally of the Jews
and the Christians, to the mujahideen
so that they can execute him."
On July 7, 2005, al-Qaeda in Iraq claimed in an Internet posting to have killed him, stating, "the verdict of God against the ambassador of the infidels, the ambassador of Egypt, has been carried out." His death was subsequently confirmed by the Egyptian government.
El-Sherif was the highest-level hostage executed since Coalition-led forces ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein
in 2003. The slaying was part of a campaign to deter other nations from expanding diplomatic ties with Iraq's new government. Egyptian President
Hosni Mubarak
stated that the murder would not deter Egypt from supporting Iraq.
troops arrested Khamis Farhan Khalaf and al-Fahdawi, the alleged al-Qaida leader suspected to be responsible for Sherif's murder
.http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/07/14/iraq.main/index.html
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
's ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
until Iraqi kidnappers murdered him in July 2005. He previously served as Egypt's chargé d'affaires
Chargé d'affaires
In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Kidnapping and death
El-Sherif was abducted on July 3, 2005, when he stepped out of his car in BaghdadBaghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
to buy a newspaper.
The al-Qaeda in Iraq
Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Al-Qaeda in Iraq is a popular name for the Iraqi division of the international Salafi jihadi militant organization al-Qaeda. It is recognized as a part of the greater Iraqi insurgency....
organization, run by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi ; October 30, 1966 – June 7, 2006), born Ahmad Fadeel al-Nazal al-Khalayleh was a Jordanian militant Islamist who ran a paramilitary training camp in Afghanistan...
, once Iraq's most wanted militant, posted a message on the internet on 6 July 2005, saying that the group had killed al-Sherif. It showed a video of Sherif blindfolded, giving his name and address and acknowledging that he once worked as a diplomat in Israel.
The website, which earlier had displayed Sherif's identification cards, did not show the killing. The message said: "The Islamic court of the al-Qaeda Organization in the Land of Two Rivers has decided to refer the ambassador of the state of Egypt, an ally of the Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
and the Christians, to the mujahideen
Mujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
so that they can execute him."
On July 7, 2005, al-Qaeda in Iraq claimed in an Internet posting to have killed him, stating, "the verdict of God against the ambassador of the infidels, the ambassador of Egypt, has been carried out." His death was subsequently confirmed by the Egyptian government.
El-Sherif was the highest-level hostage executed since Coalition-led forces ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
in 2003. The slaying was part of a campaign to deter other nations from expanding diplomatic ties with Iraq's new government. Egyptian President
President of Egypt
The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the head of state of Egypt.Under the Constitution of Egypt, the president is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and head of the executive branch of the Egyptian government....
Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
stated that the murder would not deter Egypt from supporting Iraq.
Arrests
On July 14, 2005, United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
troops arrested Khamis Farhan Khalaf and al-Fahdawi, the alleged al-Qaida leader suspected to be responsible for Sherif's murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
.http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/07/14/iraq.main/index.html
External links
- Captors kill Egypt envoy to Iraq, BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, 7 July 2005 - Department of Defense press release