Iraqi Militants Seize Four New Hostages

Kidnappers released an Egyptian diplomat they had seized outside a mosque, but two other militant groups threatened to kill four new foreign hostages amid an escalating wave of kidnappings aimed at forcing U.S.-allied countries and foreign contractors out of Iraq. Mohammed Mamdouh Helmi Qutb, the third highest diplomat at the Egyptian mission here, returned to work on Tuesday, a day after he was released by kidnappers demanding Egypt not send security experts to Iraq. As he arrived at the Egyptian Embassy in Mansour, northwest of Baghdad, he thanked ``all the people concerned in securing his release.'' ``Thanks to God, we are going to perform our work at the embassy, there is no problem,'' Qutb told reporter. [more]