Iran Holds Top Al Qaeda Operatives Story aired: Thursday, July 24, 2003
Ending weeks of speculation, the government of Iran confirmed yesterday that it is holding several senior members of the Al Qaeda terrorist network.
The announcement from the Iranian intelligence minister Ali Yunesi was the first such public admission from a top government official and came just days after President Bush accused Iran of harboring terrorists
The United States says Iran has detained Saif Adel, one of Al Qaeda's most wanted leaders. There have been persistent rumors reported in the Arab media and deemed credible by U.S. intelligence officials that Ayman al Zawahiri, the number two man in Al Qaeda, is among those in Iran, though Iran has denied that.
