U.S. appeals over diplomat missing in Cyprus

NICOSIA (Reuters) - The U.S. embassy in Cyprus issued a public appeal on Sunday for information on the whereabouts of a senior U.S. diplomat who has been missing for three days.

Thomas Mooney, 45, described on the Cyprus government Foreign Ministry Web site as a U.S. defence attache, was last seen leaving the embassy on Thursday afternoon.

The embassy declined to state the nature of his work, calling him an "employee".

Authorities declined to speculate on where he might be or the reasons for his disappearance.

"We are looking into all possibilities, and searching everywhere for him," a police source involved in the inquiries told Reuters, but declined to be more specific.

"He just disappeared," a United States embassy official told Reuters.

Diplomats said the U.S. embassy initially put out a quiet alert over Mooney's disappearance with other diplomatic missions and police on Friday, but were forced to go public when initial inquiries drew a blank.

Acquaintances said Mooney, who has the rank of lieutenant-colonel, was on his second tour of duty in Cyprus within the past five years and was believed to be on the island without his family.

His car was also missing and his mobile phone switched off.