Iran holds over 300 - Most Saudis, Kuwaitis
A majority of the over 300 al-Qaeda members being held in Iran are Kuwaitis and Saudis, says an informed source. The source told Al-Anba Iran's Ministry of Security has prepared a list on the identities and names of al-Qaeda members held in its prisons. "Tehran, however, prefers, not to reveal the names and nationalities of the detainees because most of them are Kuwaitis and Saudis," he added.
"The total number of al-Qaeda members held in Iran exceeds 300. Most of them have been involved in major terror plots and attacks. We, therefore, do not wish to aggravate tension between Riyadh and Washington, in particular," said the source.
Iranian sources had earlier confirmed Iranian intelligence officials are involved in secret negotiations with Arab and international intelligence officials, including the British intelligence, to discuss the fate of al-Qaeda detainees.
The source said, meanwhile, Tehran does not wish a military or political escalation with the United States. "Iran does not also wish international nuclear weapons inspectors to commence their inspection duties in Iran without a prior agreement and on the basis of international agreements.
The source affirmed Tehran does not want to produce weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons. He added such nuclear capabilities will economically be a burden on Iran, especially when it is heavily involved in economic reforms.
The source reiterated Iran is ready to open up all of its nuclear installations to international inspectors to ensure Iran is free of any military or armament activity. He stressed international inspectors should not be granted permission to expand inspection activities without an international resolution.
Source:
http://www.iranexpert.com/2003/iranholdsalqaeda2july.htm
Iran’s judiciary chief to visit Saudi Arabia
The head of Iran’s judiciary is to visit Saudi Arabia for talks there with top officials, a spokesman said, amid signs that Iran has detained and is seeking to extradite high-ranking members of the Al Qaeda network.
Judiciary spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham told the official IRNA news agency that Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi-Shahrudi will begin his two-day visit to the desert kingdom on Saturday, and will discuss ”important regional issues... and a joint campaign against regional organised crime.”
“A memorandum of understanding will also be signed to promote bilateral judicial ties,” he added. But Elham did not confirm if their talks would cover the possible extradition of Saudi Al Qaeda members detained in the Islamic republic.
According to numerous diplomats, Iran is engaged in secretive and complex negotiations with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Kuwait over the extradition of several top aides to Osama bin Laden.
Iran’s foreign minister has said that Iran has no intention of publicly revealing their names.
Source:
http://www.iranexpert.com/2003/judiciarychief2july.htm
They are in a hurry, most of the extraditions will be done before July 9th. Expect a declaration from Teheran tomorrow July 4th when they send a message to Dubya.
Iran Targets Satellite TV Owners
July 03, 2003
Middle East Online
middle-east-online.com
TEHRAN - Iranian security forces have carried out a series of raids targetting private owners of banned satellite dishes in areas of Tehran that were the scene of recent anti-regime protests, witnesses and reports said Thursday.
The official Iran newspaper said that for several days there has been "a new wave of dish seizures, particularly in districts that were the theatre of recent troubles," a reference to the June 10-20 student-led unrest.
The protests swelled after many residents of Tehran were urged to take to the streets by foreign-based opposition satellite television broadcasts.
The ownership of satellite equipment is illegal in the country, and the paper said offending households received court summons and fines ranging between one and five million rials (120 and 600 dollars).
Witnesses in one neighbourhood near Tehran University, the epicenter of the virulent protests, said many of the raids were carried out by plainclothes men who could be seen throwing dishes from rooftops.
Around a dozen opposition television stations beam Persian-language broadcasts into Iran. Most are run by sympathisers of the monarchy that was ousted in 1979.
The struggle by Iran's clerical leaders against the broadcasts also includes attempts to jam reception of the stations in the capital, where hundreds of thousands of people are believed to own dishes and receivers.
http://iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news_en.pl?l=en&y=2003&m=07&d=03&a=4