Missing US envoy is 'found dead'

Col Mooney (C) meets Condoleezza Rice in Cyprus last July

A senior diplomat at the US embassy in Cyprus who disappeared four days ago has been found dead, state radio says.

The body of defence attache Tom Mooney was found in a remote part of the Mediterranean island. There is no confirmation by police or the US.

The 45-year-old, who was married with children, was last seen leaving the US embassy in his Chevrolet Saloon car.

He was discovered near Nicosia and police were at the scene, said the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation.

"Someone has been found dead and police have gone to the area to confirm and identify it is the body of a missing person," a police spokesman said.

Dirt track

Private television station Sigma said the body was found a short distance from the diplomat's car on a dirt track in forested hills outside Nicosia, the island's capital.

The envoy held the rank of lieutenant-colonel and was on his second tour of duty on the island in the past five years.

Cyprus is thought safe for diplomats, although Greek Cypriot protesters shot dead a US ambassador in 1974.

Rodger Davies was fired on by protesters angry at US policy over the Turkish invasion of the north of the island that year.

There was also an attempted car bombing on the Israeli embassy in 1988 but the device exploded prematurely, killing the Lebanese driver and two Cypriot bystanders.