Qatar refuses to hand over Iraq's fugitive VP

Khaled al-Attiyah, Qatars minister of state for international cooperation, says the Gulf nation will not extradite Tariq al-Hashemi because such a move would be contrary to diplomatic protocol.Iraq on Monday asked Qatar to extradite al-Hashemi. The request will likely further strain ties between Shiite-led Iraq and Sunni Gulf Arab states.Al-Hashemi is the top Sunni official in Iraqs Shiite-led government, which issued a warrant for his arrest in December.Al-Attiyah told reporters on Tuesday that Qatar will not hand him over because there is no court verdict against him and because al-Hashemi is a foreign official with diplomatic immunity.