Missing US diplomat in Cyprus probably dead

A body believed to be of a senior U.S. diplomat reported missing in Cyprus from last Thursday, was found early Monday in an area west of the capital Nicosia close to the loosely-patrolled border with the Turkish-occupied areas.

Defence Attache Thomas Mooney, 45, held the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and was on his second tour of duty on the island in the past five years. He was among the delegation that met Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during her brief stop at Larnaca airport last July.

The US embassy in Nicosia had said it was not linking his disappearance with any terrorist activity at this stage.

The Cyprus News Agency reported that a body that fits the description of the missing diplomat was found near the border village of Orkontas.

The information was not confirmed by the embassy, but a statement said that if the body is that of Thomas Mooney, his family would have to informed first and follow procedure after that.

There are concerns Col Mooney might have had an accident on one of the island’s narrow mountain roads.

However, the Turkish Cypriot newspaper ‘Kibrisli’ reported Monday that Mooney was last seen in the occupied northern part of the island near the town of Famagusta, accompanied by two women aged 45 and 28.

On Friday, almost 24 hours after his disappearance, the embassy had issued an appeal for information on the whereabouts of Mooney who was last seen in his car, which was also missing, in Nicosia on Thursday. His mobile phone had been switched off.

Cyprus police had said over the weekend that the case was “sensitive” and refrained from giving further details on the search.

Cypriot Justice Minister Sophocles Sophocleous refused to speculate on the case: “I have nothing more to say than that which has already been made public at this time.”

Cyprus is thought safe for diplomats, although US ambassador Rodger Davies was shot dead by protesters in 1974 angry at US policy over the Turkish invasion of the north of the island that year

However, the assassin was never found and was even believed to be someone familiar with the inner workings of the embassy building, maybe even a U.S. agent.