IRAQ: ALGERIAN ENVOY TO IRAQ KIDNAPPED SAY POLICE.

Record ID: 574569

  • Title: IRAQ: ALGERIAN ENVOY TO IRAQ KIDNAPPED SAY POLICE.
  • Date: 22nd July 2005
  • Summary: (W4) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (JULY 21, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. GV: STREET WHERE ALGERIAN AMBASSADOR WAS KIDNAPPED 0.05 2. GV: SECURITY VEHICLES AT THE SCENE 0.11 3. GV/CU: CAR BELONGING TO VICTIM; ALGERIAN FLAG ON DASHBOARD (2 SHOTS) 0.21 4. CU: SIGN SAYING "EMBASSY OF ALGERIA" PINNED ON BACK OF CAR 0.27 5. GV/CU: BACK OF CAR; DIPLOMATIC LICENSE PLATE (2 SHOTS) 0.37 6. GV/MV: ALGERIAN EMBASSY OFFICIALS ON SITE (4 SHOTS) 1.25 7. GV/PAN/GV: CARS DRIVING DOWN STREET (2 SHOTS) 1.40 8. GV: EXTERIOR ALGERIAN EMBASSY, POLICE FIRE IN THE AIR; MORE OF POLICE OUTSIDE EMBASSY (3 SHOTS) 2.04 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 6th August 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVAC2SROXO697S9E4CPCGC8SZK1F
  • Story Text: Algeria's envoy to Baghdad was kidnapped on Thursday,
    police sources said.



    Gunmen kidnapped Algeria's envoy to Baghdad on Thursday
    (July 21), continuing a series of attacks that have driven
    frightened diplomats out of the capital.

    An employee at the embassy reached by telephone confirmed that
    mission chief Ali Billaroussi had been kidnapped.

    Police sources said he was snatched off the street outside a restaurant
    along with the embassy's diplomatic attaché, Azzedine bin Fadi, by gunmen in two cars.

    Egypt's envoy was kidnapped and killed earlier this month by al Qaeda's
    Iraq wing, which vowed to carry out more attacks on diplomats in the Iraqi capital.

    The Egyptian, Ihab el-Sherif, had been expected to become the first
    Arab diplomat in Baghdad with the full title of ambassador since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, an important symbolic gesture.

    Two days after he was kidnapped, gunmen fired on cars carrying the
    envoys of Pakistan and Bahrain, triggering an exodus, with many embassies scaling back their operations over security fears.

    Iraq's U.S.-backed government said the attacks were aimed at depriving
    it of international legitimacy it craves, especially in the wider Arab world where nearly all countries are ruled by Sunnis seen as distrustful of Iraq's elected Shi'ite leaders.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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