NEW YORK, 3 August 2003 — Iran wants the United States to hand over members of an Iranian opposition movement in return for any Al-Qaeda figures it extradites to Washington, the New York Times said yesterday. The newspaper quoted a US official as saying Washington had approached Tehran with a request for the handover of members of Osama Bin Laden’s network in Iranian custody, including Saif Al-Adel, an Egyptian thought to be Al-Qaeda’s security chief.
But the approach, relayed through the Swiss Embassy that handles US interests in Tehran, did not include any proposed swap and the United States “did not receive a positive response”, the Times quoted the official as saying.
A senior Bush administration official told the newspaper the administration would reject any kind of swap for members of the Mujahedeen Khalq, which is listed by the United States and the European Union as a terrorist organization. Many Mujahedeen Khalq members are in camps in Iraq under US military supervision.
There will be “no quid pro quo”, the Times quoted the official as saying of the reported exchange proposal. The United States has accused Iran of harboring and assisting terrorists. Tehran denies the charge.
The New York Times quoted senior US and Middle Eastern officials as saying Adel was among Al-Qaeda members in Iranian custody after having been detained several weeks ago.
They said they believed other Al-Qaeda figures in Iranian hands include Saad Bin Laden, one of Osama Bin Laden’s older sons, and Suleiman Abu Ghaith, an Al-Qaeda spokesman.
The Times quoted a US official as saying Washington believes Iran is also holding Abu Masab Al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian identified by the United States as a lieutenant of Bin Laden. Iran publicly acknowledged for the first time last month that it was holding some senior Al-Qaeda figures.
On Friday, the NBC broadcaster reported the United States is engaged in low key negotiations with Iran over the release of three leading Al-Qaeda operatives. Quoting informed sources, NBC said that Washington was exploring whether Iran would be willing to cooperate if the United States were to release the Mujahedeen Khalq members.
But the White House denied that there are secret talks going on with Tehran. In April, US forces reached a controversial truce with the group, which had enjoyed the backing of ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
