Egypt: Little hope that Sharif is still alive

The Egyptian businessman Najib Sweirs said on Wednesday that it is likely that the Egyptian charge de affairs in Iraq, Eyhab al-Sharif, who was kidnapped and announced to be executed in Baghdad by the beginning of July, is still alive.

Sweirs, owner of "Orascom" company said in a statement to the Egyptian al-Joumhoreyah that "we have some information which tell that the Egyptian ambassador is still alive and was not killed." He added "I do hope that this information is true but we should make sure of facts." Orascom operates the mobile phone network in Baghdad.

Egyptian dailies said on Wednesday that the Egyptian foreign minister Ahmad Abu al-Gheit notified a committee in the Egyptian people's assembly on Tuesday that there is a little hope that Sharif is still alive. Abu al-Ghait said "nobody can give a material evidence ( on the killing of al-Sharif) because the kidnapping group had not contacted the Iraqi authority nor the Egyptian one or any organizations on earth. We have not reached any line leading to this direction, either."