Posted on 06/14/2004 7:08:29 AM PDT by F14 Pilot
TEHRAN, Iran – Iran has made a significant contribution to the war on terror by arresting agents of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network, Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said Saturday.
He did not say how many – or how senior – al-Qaeda detainees were in Iranian jails.
"That we have detained and jailed al-Qaeda operatives here and cut their contacts with the outside world is a very serious step in the fight against terrorism," Kharrazi said.
The United States has accused Iran of harboring al-Qaeda fugitives and has called upon the Islamic country to turn over the detainees it had. Tehran has no extradition treaty with Washington.
In July, Iran first confirmed it was holding what Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesi described then as "a large number of small and big-time elements of al-Qaeda." Iranian officials have said they have turned over hundreds of al-Qaeda detainees to their countries of origin.
Iranian officials also have said terror suspects would stand trial in Iranian courts because "they have committed crimes in Iran" but no trial dates have been set.
Kharrazi did not say when any trials might begin, but said Iran has cooperated with various countries, including Saudi Arabia, to counter terrorism.
"Everybody knows ... that detaining them (al-Qaeda operatives) and keeping them in jail is a very important step taken by Iran," he said.
American counterterrorism officials have said a handful of senior al-Qaeda operatives who fled to Iran after the war in Afghanistan two years ago may have developed a working relationship with a secretive military unit linked to Iran's religious hard-liners.
U.S. intelligence has suggested al-Qaeda figures in Iran include Saif al-Adl, a top al-Qaeda agent possibly connected to May 2003 bombings in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Abu Mohammed al-Masri, wanted in connection with the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania; Abu Musab Zarqawi, blamed for numerous attacks in Iraq the past year; and bin Laden's eldest son, Saad.
In theaters, this Monday!
In other news, the Moon claims to be instrumental in defeating the nighttime.
Tehran did do a great job of crushing all of those 'terrorist' students protesting for freedom.
What did they do exactly, take a day off ?
The only way Iran has contributed to countering terror was by sending their jihadis to die at the hands of our Marines.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.