NEW YORK, 27 May 2003 — The United States has asked Iran to hand over Al-Qaeda members operating in its territory, the New York Times reported yesterday.
The request came in a message sent shortly after the May 12 suicide bombings in Saudi Arabia, and after US officials reviewed intelligence indications that Iran-based Al-Qaeda operatives were involved in the attacks, the Times said.
“We passed them a message instead of meeting them face to face. The message was that this Al-Qaeda link is very serious,” an unnamed senior US official was quoted as saying.
“We and others concerned about the Saudi bombings have made clear that Iran needs to cooperate with the Saudi investigation, and there’s no reason to allow Al-Qaeda on Iranian territory,” the official said.
Top US officials are to meet today to discuss Washington’s evolving policy toward Iran amid deepening concerns over its nuclear program, and its alleged support of Shiite groups in Iraq.
A possible suspension of diplomatic contacts with Iran will be one of the topics discussed, the Times reported. There has been no “across-the-board decision to never talk to the Iranians again,” another administration official told the Times.
The attacks in Riyadh killed 34 people, including nine suicide bombers.
Iran yesterday said it had arrested several Al-Qaeda suspects but was unsure of their rank in the network. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said Iran currently had several Al-Qaeda suspects in custody “but we don’t know who these people are to be able to say whether they are senior or not”.
“They need to be identified and interrogated,” the official IRNA news agency quoted Asefi as saying, without giving details on their arrest.
State radio had earlier reported that Asefi had said the Al-Qaeda suspects currently under arrest in Iran were not senior members of the network. Government officials could not be reached for further comment.
Leading US lawmakers said Sunday that there would shortly be positive developments regarding Al-Qaeda in Iran.
Notwithstanding, Asefi’s statement, the top US military officer repeated US allegations yesterday that Iran is harboring members of Al-Qaeda. “The issue with Iran is pretty clear,” Richard Myers, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, told NBC television’s Today program.
“We have to eliminate the safe havens where the terrorists are, and Iran of course has some of the Al-Qaeda members,” Myers said.
“The reports are that Al-Qaeda has been in Iran off and on for some time, particularly after our actions in Afghanistan,” Myers said.
He also restated US allegations that Iranian elements are trying to destabilize Iraq. “Some portions of Iranian-backed forces and organizations are in Iraq right now trying to influence events there, to the coalition’s detriment.”
