(Washington Post) John Mintz - As many as 15 al Qaeda leaders and operatives are currently in Iran, but Tehran is dragging its feet in responding to requests from Arab governments to repatriate the accused terrorists for interrogation and trial, a senior Saudi official said yesterday. Among the al Qaeda members being held in what Iranian officials describe as "safe houses" are Saad bin Laden, who was being groomed to succeed his father, Osama bin Laden, as al Qaeda's leader. Yesterday's briefing for reporters was part of a wide-ranging attempt by Riyadh to demonstrate that it is working closely with Washington on counterterrorist initiatives, including attempts to win concessions from Tehran. The Saudi official said a 10-person al Qaeda cell captured in Riyadh yesterday after a shootout with police is tied to a London-based Saudi dissident who opposes the royal family, Saad al Faqih.
2003-08-12 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive