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Over 400 al-Qaeda staying at IRGC villas and army bases in Iran
Hundreds of alleged members of Al-Qaeda, including 18 of its top leaders, and other terror groups are living in Iran, some under tight security, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported Thursday. "More than 384 members of Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organisations are present in Iran, including 18 senior leaders of Osama bin Laden`s network," the London-based daily said, citing a senior source in the Iranian presidency. The Saudi-owned newspaper said the terrorist leaders were living under tight protection, some of them in villas in the Namak Abrud region, near the town of Chalous on the Caspian coast, 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Tehran. Others are living in Lavizan, in the north-west of the capital, and which also houses a large military complex, it added. The report could not be verified in Tehran. According to the source, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad convinced Tehran, during his visit to Iran early this month, of the "seriousness" of using Al-Qaeda elements in Iran as a card in its policy with the United States. As a consequence, Tehran handed over wanted Saudi militant Khaled bin Odeh bin Mohammed al-Harbi to the Saudi authorities, the source added. Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-07-15 |
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