Iraqi diplomat requests asylum in U.S.

By Ronni Berke
CNN United Nations Producer

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- An Iraqi diplomat at the United Nations has requested asylum in the United States, a law enforcement official tells CNN.

The official said the diplomat, whose name and rank were not immediately available, defected last Friday.

Iraq's ambassador to the United Nations, Mohammed al-Douri, said three staffers from the mission had finished their term of duty at the end of June, but he would not confirm whether any of them had defected.

An official at the Iraqi mission in New York who asked not to be identified said the three staffers are not yet in Baghdad. The official said staff members usually are allowed a three-week grace period when being sent home, and in the interim they could travel anywhere.

Neither New York police nor the State Department has contacted the Iraqi delegation about a possible defection, the official said, adding, "Anyway, we would be the last to know."