Report: Al Qaeda's #2 leader, one of Bin Laden's sons, and a spokeman captured in Iran

Al Arabiya | June 27, 2003

[Angelus Errare]

That should be February and October 2002, not 2003.

[rotstan]

TV says al-Qaeda number two and spokesman held in Iran
Fri Jun 27 2003 12:48:11 ET

Ayman al-Zawahiri, right-hand man of al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, and Suleiman Abu Ghaith, spokesman of the terror group, are among al-Qaeda members detained in Iran, Al-Arabiya news channel said Friday.

Zawahiri, Abu Ghaith and one of bin Laden's sons are among a group of aides of the al-Qaeda chief held in Iran, the Dubai-based satellite television said, quoting "Western diplomatic sources."

Al-Arabiya said the detainees included Saudis, Kuwaitis, Jordanians and Iraqi Kurds.

An upcoming visit to Iran by British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw will focus essentially on this issue, it said.

Iranian government spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh said Monday that some al-Qaeda members arrested in Iran had been identified but had refused to give any information about themselves, including the position they held within the organization.

Washington suspects Iran-based al-Qaeda members are implicated in last month's triple suicide bombings in Riyadh.

Iranian leaders said that a handful of members of bin Laden's network were arrested before the May 12 attacks, which killed 35 people.

Recent press reports said that Abu Ghaith, who was stripped of his Kuwaiti citizenship, and Saad bin Laden, the Qaeda chief's elder son who is believed to play a key role in the orgnization, were in Iran.

Egyptian-born Saif al-Adel, thought to have taken over as al-Qaeda's number three from military operations chief Mohammad Atef, who was believed killed in Afghanistan, was also alleged to be in Iran.

So was Abu Mussab Zarqawi, a Jordanian national of Palestinian origin who is thought to have previously operated from neighboring Iraq.

Iran has brushed off the claims but has not revealed the identities of the al-Qaeda operatives it is detaining.

Developing...

[Dirk McQuickly]

Iran is hearing war drums over yonder hill. Bingo. What a bad time for the good doctor to become Iran's ultimate bargaining chip.

[Dog]

Thanks for the ping!

I don't buy this...there is no way Al-Qaeda would allow Al-Zawahiri and Said Bin Laden to be "captured".....without some major bloodshed.

[freeperfromnj]

In a related development on OBL, it seems they nabbed another AQ suspect with video of OBL. He was on his way across the border with the video to.....Al Jezeeera.

Al-Qaida suspect arrested with video

By RIAZ KHAN - The Associated Press

6/27/2003, 11:24 a.m. ET

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani authorities arrested a suspected al-Qaida operative and seized a video cassette purportedly of Osama bin Laden warning of attacks against U.S. interests in Saudi Arabia, intelligence officials said Friday.

The Egyptian national was arrested Wednesday in a raid on a house in the northwestern city of Peshawar, near the border with Afghanistan, said two intelligence officials.

Found at the home were three video cassettes, including one allegedly of bin Laden warning of attacks against U.S. interests in Saudi Arabia, according to one of the two intelligence officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Officials say the man, identified as Haris bin Asim, apparently wanted to deliver the video cassettes to the Arab satellite station Al-Jazeera. The al-Jazeera correspondent in Islamabad, Ahmed Zaidan, said he had no knowledge of any cassettes or deliveries.

Word of the arrest comes a day after Saudi and U.S. officials said authorities in Saudi Arabia arrested one of the alleged al-Qaida masterminds in last month's terrorist bombings in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. In the May 12 assault, gunmen and suicide bombers attacked three housing compounds populated by Westerners and other foreigners. Nine attackers and 25 victims were killed.

Asim was arrested at the Katchi Ghauri refugee camp on the western edge of Peshawar, intelligence sources said.

In addition to the video cassettes, police also recovered U.S., Afghan, Saudi Arabian and Pakistani currency, they said without specifying how much.

Pakistan's Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, however, denied the arrest.

If it is true, the arrest would be the second this month of an al-Qaida suspect in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province, where a pro-Taliban religious coalition rules.

On June 18, Pakistan arrested an Algerian national, Adil Al-Jazeeri, believed to have links with al-Qaida. Al-Jazeeri was arrested along with a Tunisian national suspected of providing forged travel documents to fleeing al-Qaida operatives.

Pakistan, a key ally in the U.S.-led war on terror, has arrested nearly 500 suspected al-Qaida men, most of whom have been handed over to the United States.

In March 2003, Pakistan arrested al-Qaida's top leader Khalid Shaikh Mohammed.

Abu Zubaydah, once bin Laden's senior lieutenant, was arrested in Pakistan's Faisalabad in March 2002. Also on Sept. 12, 2001, Pakistan arrested Ramzi Binalshibh, another suspected planner of the attacks in the United States.

Pakistan also has arrested Waleed Mohammed Bin Attash, best known as Tawfiq bin Attash or Tawfiq Attash Khallada, a Yemeni who was one of two people described as masterminds of the bombing of the U.S. Navy destroyer Cole in Yemen on Oct. 12, 2000.

[Coop]

I've done a Google as well and came up with nothing.

[epluribus_2]

that picture in my mind is memorable - thanx.

[DoughtyOne]

Do we have one JDAM left? Any objections?

[wimpycat]

I heard Rush Limbaugh mention it awhile ago, but I didn't hear if he said where he was getting the information from.

[Dog]

Looks like we caught a Bin Laden courier.

Found at the home were three video cassettes, including one allegedly of bin Laden warning of attacks against U.S. interests in Saudi Arabia, according to one of the two intelligence officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Officials say the man, identified as Haris bin Asim, apparently wanted to deliver the video cassettes to the Arab satellite station Al-Jazeera. The al-Jazeera correspondent in Islamabad, Ahmed Zaidan, said he had no knowledge of any cassettes or deliveries.

[Coop]

Another good report, thanks. Given that Pakistan's government hasn't confirmed this capture, and that the source is Pak intel, I'll keep an asterisk by it. :-)

[Cooter]

Yahoo News has an AFP story on this.

[wimpycat]

Thanks for the link. However, it appears that the Yahoo story is the French press only repeating what Al-Arabiya is saying.

I'm waiting for the Pentagon or whatever relevant US agency is supposed to do it, to confirm the story. Or at least have the British confirm it.

[Peach]

We'd better find a way to have them extradicted here or to a friendly country (friendly to us, that is!).

[Southack]

"What a coincidence, that the Iranian regime should suddenly acquire a bargaining chip like this, at a time when it is crucial for them not to have us actively support the opposition movement. Will wonders never cease?"

Tell me that I'm not detecting just a *hint* of real-politik cynicism in your post!

[nuffsenuff]

Seriously...

This should be on the news here somewhere.

This is news!

[Angelus Errare]

One thing to keep in mind from the Pakistani story is that Adil al-Jaziri was the Algerian courier for the last bin Laden audiotape that was released during the Iraq War. Depending on whether or not he's just a cog, he could presumably have led us back to whoever he got the tape from.

[Shermy]

ZALMAY KHALILZAD SAYS AL-QA’EDA GUERILLAS ARE IN IRAN 1/19/02

Tehran given details of Iranian interference in Afghanistan' 2/13/02

Laden's right-hand man imprisoned in Iran: Reports 2/17/02

IRAN DENY PRESS REPORT OF IMAN AL-ZAWAHERI'S ARREST, BUT...2/18/02

Terrorists trained by Iran tracked from Uzbekistan 4/08/02

Al-Qaida fighters leave Afghanistan through Iran and Iraq; most going home to Arab countries 6/21/02

ITALY LINKS TERROR PLOTS TO AL-QUEDA IN IRAN (10/13/02)

_______________2003____________________

Bin Laden son, al Qaeda terrorists spotted in Iran 2/15/03

Al-Qaida tied to Iran intelligence, military: Models of WTC, Pentagon at Tehran spy base (2/03)

Suspected Al Qaeda Activities in Iran Contributed to Orange Alert (5/23/03)

Iran Officials Admit to Holding Al Qaeda Operatives (5/23/03)

Al-Qaeda leaders "busy" in Iran: Rumsfeld| 5/21/03

Alleged al-Qaeda Tape Urges More Strikes (al-Zawahiri) [5/21/03]

Iran, al-Qaida link suspected

Sources: Al-Qaida in Iran Directed Saudi Bombing Newsday | 5/16/03

[Coop]

Yep. It only took a week or two to gain his cooperation. :-)

[Coop]

More good news. http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=6160

This dead fella's group was linked in an article earlier in the week to Al Qaeda and the attack on the French tanker.