Chicago Times has just picked up the story and we now have a name for the mysterious Iranian - Hamid Reza Zakiri (Zakeri)!
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/politics/7765063.htm This isn't his first appearance either, take a look at this:
http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=countries&Area=iran&ID=SP47303 He's an ex-IRGC big-shot.
In addition:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A21484-2003Oct13?language=printer http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.asp?D=10/14/2003&ID=19847 (Rantburg copy by yours truly)
"A description of Mugniyah’s ongoing role was provided to authorities by a member of the Jerusalem Force who defected to Britain earlier this year. In a February interview with the London-based Saudi daily Al-Sarq al-Awsat, the defector said Mugniyah remained in Iran and had personally "planned the escape of dozens of al Qaeda men to Iran." The defector, Hamid Zakiri, said Mugniyah served as "a liaison officer with Dr. Zawahiri and with commanders of other fundamentalist organizations." Zakiri said that among those Mugniyah aided were bin Laden’s youngest wife, Amal al-Saddah, and her infant child, whom he provided with safe passage from Afghanistan through Iran to her homeland of Yemen as the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan began. European intelligence sources said that much of Zakiri’s information had been verified."
Looks like we have an intelligence goldmine here - the ayatollah should pay dearly for this.