Iran Denies US Claims of Harboring Al-Qaeda Members - 2003-05-21

Iran has denied the accusations made by the United States regarding the harboring of Al-Qaeda terrorists in Iran. A spokesperson for the Iranian government stated today that the remarks made by Donald Rumsfeld, the US Secretary of Defense, claiming that operatives of the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda are hiding in Iran are baseless. Mr. Rumsfeld explicitly told reporters that Al-Qaeda operatives based in Iran were involved in last week's suicide bombings in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. He mentioned that the information regarding the Iranian regime's connection to Al-Qaeda terrorists was obtained through intelligence agencies but did not provide details, merely warning countries that harbor and provide bases for terrorists, stating that such countries act as terrorists themselves. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times reports that the US has suspended its dialogue with Iran for an indefinite period. The newspaper quoted US officials stating that a meeting was scheduled today in Geneva, Switzerland, between US and Iranian representatives to discuss Afghanistan, but this meeting was canceled following the bombings in Riyadh. US officials say that since the US has no relations with Iran, it will issue further severe warnings regarding Al-Qaeda to the Iranian government through the British government.