U.S. Wants Access to Al Qaeda Suspects in Iran
August 12, 2003
Reuters
Reuters.com
CANBERRA -- The United States said on Tuesday it wants access to high-level members of al Qaeda who have been detained in Iran so it can interrogate them on any future attacks Osama bin Laden's network could be planning.
Iran publicly acknowledged for the first time last month that it was holding some senior al Qaeda figures and said it planned to extradite some of them to "friendly countries."
"Some we believe are quite high-level. We would like to get access to them and interrogate them to try and head off whatever plans they have in the works," U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage told reporters in Canberra.
"Much of the al Qaeda leadership is dead or in hiding. The ability to conduct terrorism is more difficult, but having said that they are still out there...the battle goes on," he said.
Iran's government spokesman Abdollah Ramazanzadeh has said al Qaeda members could only be handed over to countries with which Iran had extradition agreements.
He said Iran did not have such an agreement with the United States, which blames al Qaeda for the September 11, 2001, suicide attacks on New York and Washington.
Ramazanzadeh has declined to reveal the identity of the al Qaeda members in Iran's custody for "security reasons." He said that arrested members of al Qaeda who had committed crimes in Iran would be prosecuted by Iranian courts.
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=3261881Foreign investments secure in Iran, says Karroubi
Tabriz, Aug 12, IRNA -- Majlis Speaker Hojjatoleslam Mehdi Karroubi here Tuesday assured foreign investors their investment in Iran would be safeguarded.
He made the remark at the opening ceremony of a two-day international seminar on foreign investment in this province's capital, Tabriz, located northwest of the capital.
Acknowledging the importance of security that will guarantee to investors the return of their capital and earnings, he called on concerned officials to exert their utmost to defend foreign investment in this country in order to encourage investors to participate in national development.
The speaker also voiced the readiness of the Iranian Parliament to help solve the country's economic problems, particularly in the matter of securing foreign investment. 1424/LS/210 End
http://www.irna.ir/en/tnews/030812143425.etn02.shtml
Comment: The will have problem in raising 17 bn USD!