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Iran
Iran Rejects Claim of Sheltering al-Qaida
2003-05-16
Iran on Friday denied U.S. claims that it shelters members of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terror network and seeks to develop weapons of mass destruction.
"Lies! All lies!"
The denial followed the assertion a day earlier by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld that U.S. authorities believe there are senior al-Qaida leaders in Iran.
Why wouldn't there be? They've got two of everything else.
``The repetition of such baseless claims (concerning al-Qaida) cannot portray them as valid and credible,'' Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency. U.S. officials have said at least three al-Qaida leaders are in Iran: Saif al-Adil, bin Laden's security and intelligence chief; Saad bin Laden, Osama's seventy-fourth son by his thirteenth brood mare; and Abu Hafs the Mauritanian, a gun-totin' religious nut scholar.
I thought the Mauretanian was dead?
Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said in February that his government has detained and deported to safe houses around the world more than 500 infiltrators suspected of al-Qaida links and would throw a party for arrest Saad bin Laden if he's found in the country. ``This is our policy, to crack down on any person suspected of links to al-Qaida unless they turn and help us,'' Kharrazi said.
He said all that with a straight face?
Asefi also rejected U.S. claims that Iran seeks to acquire weapons of mass destruction.
"More lies!"
America has accused Iran of secretly embarking on a program to enrich uranium at Natanz in southern Iran, which U.S. officials fear could be used to make nuclear weapons. ``The Islamic Republic of Iran, in line with its principles, is very serious and firm about the fight against terrorism and its nuclear programs are very transparent and intended for peaceful intentions,'' Asefi said.
"We need nuclear power because we have no oil , um ..."
Posted by:Steve White

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