7月2日，埃及派往伊拉克的最高外交官哈卜·謝裡夫在巴格達遭綁架，目前尚沒有組織宣稱對此負責。據悉，謝裡夫遭綁架當天晚上去買報紙，突然有武裝分子乘坐兩輛寶馬車攔住了他的去路，並綁架了他。外電報導如下：Gunmen seized Egypt's top envoy to Iraq, officials and witnesses said Sunday, in an apparent bid to discourage the country's Arab neighbors from bolstering ties to the embattled U.S.-backed government. Insurgents killed at least three Iraqi policemen and wounded two American soldiers in a series of attacks across the insurgent heartland.
Visiting U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, meanwhile, praised Iraq's commitment to democracy during a surprise visit to the capital. He said Iraq is ready to accept U.S. help in investigating the killing and kidnapping of government officials.
"There are still some high-level crimes, murders and kidnappings that are not being prosecuted. One reason is that the evidence is not available," Gonzales said in an interview on his return trip to Washington.
Envoy表示「外交使節，特使，信使」，多指派駐國外使館的特命全權公使，僅低於大使。和envoy有關的名詞有很多，例如：envoy extraordinary（公使）；an Imperial envoy（欽差）；a diplomatic envoy（外交使節）；a special envoy（特使）；an envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary（特命全權公使）。
據悉，謝裡夫6月1日剛獲得埃及駐伊首席外交官的任命，他是自2003年美國推翻薩達姆政權後，埃及任命的首位駐伊拉克首席外交官。
（中國日報網站編）