Egypt to keep mission open in Iraq

CAIRO, July 31 (UPI) -- Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif says his country will stay in Iraq, despite the recent killing of its top diplomat.

U.S. and Iraqi officials have said they believe the slaying of diplomats from Egypt and Algeria is part of an al-Qaida attempt to isolate the interim Iraqi government from other Muslim countries, Voice of America reported Sunday.

Nazif told CNN's "Late Edition" the recent deaths will not stop his country from sending diplomatic representation to Baghdad.

"We still think that we need to stand behind the Iraqi people to make sure that the process that's taking place in Iraq ends up with the Iraqis taking control of their own lives, having a democracy that represents all Iraqis," Nazif said.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will be the host for a meeting of Arab leaders Wednesday at Sharm el-Sheik, where bombers recently killed at least 64 people.

"One of the main points on the agenda is that the Arabs should stand behind Iraq and that we should look forward to actions on behalf of the Arab League and the Arab leaders to support the Iraqi people," said Nazif.