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| Iran |
| Iran steps up security at foreign missions over Al-Qaeda |
| 2003-12-24 |
| Iran said Wednesday it had stepped up security around Western embassies in the run-up to the Christmas holiday following threats from Islamic militant network al-Qaeda as Washington remained on high alert across the Gulf in Bahrain. Tehran province security chief Ali Tala said protection had been increased around the embassies of Britain, Turkey, and Switzerland, which also represents US interests here, since bombings of British interests in Istanbul killed 62 people last month. "After the blasts in Turkey, we intensified the protective measures around some of the Western embassies," said Tala. "We ordered an intensification of protective measures ... and we will keep on holding discussions to confront any threats," he said, adding that some of the information received on the Al-Qaeda threat came from media reports. A staff member at the Swiss embassy confirmed that security there had been stepped up since Monday. A Turkish diplomat told AFP that "the embassy has asked for additional protection measures since the Istanbul blasts". Well, since the Turkish al-Qaeda cell members responsible for the bombings are reported to have fled to Iran....... Last Sunday, the Baztab website, close to Mohsen Rezaie, former head of the hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, said Iran had received threats from Al-Qaeda since it gave information to an Iraqi Kurdish faction that paved the way for the US military’s capture of Saddam Hussein on December 13. Oh, please. Iran tipped off the Kurds as to where Saddam was hiding out? I guess your drug problem is worse than I thought. Baztab wrote that Al-Qaeda threatened to attack several targets in Tehran, including the British and Swiss embassies. The Swiss? What, they didn’t get their free toaster when they opened their bank accounts? There was no immediate official confirmation of the specific threat against the embassies, although on Monday Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi said Iran was "always" receiving threats from Al-Qaeda. But I thought you had jugged all the al-Qaeda members in Iran? |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #1 Iran doesn't seem to have a very good record for protecting embassies. I would evacuate everybody except the guys with the guns. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2003-12-24 8:58:28 PM |