October 26, 2003	Sunday	Sha’aban 29, 1424

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TEHRAN, Oct 25: Iran has finally revealed to the UN Security Council the names of scores of suspected Al Qaeda members in its custody, state media said here on Saturday.

A report to the council identified 78 suspected members of the Islamic militant network who Iran says have already been extradited to their countries of origin, the official IRNA news agency said.

The Iranian mission in New York also provided the names of 147 suspected members of Al Qaeda — or of its former Afghan hosts, the Taliban militia — who remain in custody here pending trial, extradition or deportation, the news agency said.

IRNA’s dispatch did not reveal the names of the detainees or any further details about them.

Iran has previously acknowledged holding some senior members of Al Qaeda but despite US strong pressure, had not identified them, other than saying they are “important and less important members” of the network.

Between October 2002 and April 2003, more than 2,300 people who illegally entered Iran were handed over to border guards and the United Nations also informed of their names, IRNA said.

About 400 people linked to Al Qaeda were refused entry to Iran during the war in Iraq, IRNA added.

Previously, Iran said it arrested and deported some 500 people belonging to or linked to Al Qaeda since late 2001.

Washington has been pressing Tehran for not doing more against Al Qaeda and for refusing to extradite the suspects to the United States, with which it has no extradition treaty.

Iran has never sanctioned any Al Qaeda activity on its soil, and opposed the Taliban even when other states recognized its government in Kabul, IRNA said, alluding to the United States which initially supported the ruling party.—AFP