TEHRAN â Iran said yesterday it was unaware if Al-Qaedaâs presumed No. 3 is among several members of the network in custody, dismissing reports it was seeking to swap him with the United States for leaders of the Iraq-based Peopleâs Mujahedeen armed opposition group. US officials have alleged that Egyptian-born Saif Al-Adel is in Iran and took part in the planning of the May 12 suicide bombings in Riyadh that killed 25 people, including seven US nationals. Adel, a senior figure in both Al-Qaeda and Egyptâs outlawed Islamic Jihad, is also wanted in connection with attacks on US embassies in East Africa in 1998. A $25 million reward has been offered for information leading to his capture. âFor the moment we do not know if Saif Al-Adel is in Iran,â Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters. He said Al-Qaeda members held here âhave not yet been fully identified, so we cannot say yet who they are.â
| "You know how many passports these guys carry? How many aliases they have?" |
âIf it emerges that he is in Iran, we will react according to our obligations and in the same way as in the past, when we sent Al-Qaeda members arrested by us back to their country of origin,â Asefi added.
| Ummm... That would be Egypt? Or Pakistan? |
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