Tehran, May 29: The Iranian government today said it was unaware if Al-Qaeda's presumed number-three, Saif al-Adel, was among several members of the network currently in custody here. "If 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," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters. Egyptian-born Adel, a senior figure in both Al-Qaeda and Egypt's outlawed Islamic Jihad, is wanted by the United States in connection with attacks on US embassies in East Africa in 1998. A 25 million-dollar reward has been offered for information leading to his capture.
He is also alleged to be in Iran, and to have taken part in the planning of the May 12 suicide bombings in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia that killed 34 people, including eight US nationals.
Iran has acknowledged that it has a number of suspected Al-Qaeda members in its custody, but has given no further details. Officials said the detainees are still being interrogated. While asserting that if Adel was in Iranian custody he would be extradited, Asefi dismissed speculation in the Iranian press that he could handed over in exchange for Massoud Rajavi, the head of the Iraq-based People's Mujahedeen armed Iranian opposition group.
The whereabouts of Rajavi are uncertain. Bureau Report