IRAQ:Militants in Iraq have kidnapped an Iranian diplomat and accused him of inciting sectarian strife in a country deeply divided between the resurgent Shi'ite Muslim majority and the traditionally dominant Sunni Muslim minority.
A video tape from a group calling itself The Islamic Army in Iraq - which was reported to have killed two Pakistani hostages last month - showed a bearded man, wearing a white shirt in front of a black banner bearing the group's name.
It also showed a passport and business card which identified the hostage as Iranian diplomat Mr Fereidoun Jahani.
"The group said in a statement it had kidnapped the Iranian consul in Kerbala because he had been involved in inciting sectarian strife and operating outside the sphere of diplomacy," the Dubai-based satellite channel Al Arabiya said yesterday.
"The group also warned Iran against flagrant interference in the affairs of Iraq," the television added. It did not mention any threats against the hostage or demands by the group.
Both Iraqi and US officials are uneasy about attempts by officially Shi'ite Iran to gain influence among neighbouring Iraq's restive Shi'ites and many Sunni Iraqis are deeply worried about the rising power of the long-suppressed Shi'ite majority.
Iraq's defence minister last week accused Iran of "blatant interference" in Iraq's affairs. Iran denies the charges.
Iran's embassy in Baghdad said yesterday Mr Jahani had gone missing on Wednesday as he was travelling from Baghdad to take up the new post of consul in the Shi'ite holy city Kerbala.
The Islamic Army in Iraq abducted a Filipino last month and threatened to kill him, but released him after the Philippines withdrew its forces from Iraq.
The group also claimed the kidnapping of two Pakistanis and an Iraqi in July and threatened to kill them if their company did not pull out of the country. The two Pakistanis were later reported killed, while the Iraqi was freed.