October 27, 2003	Monday	Sha’aban 30, 1424

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TEHRAN, Oct 26: Iran said on Sunday it would not reveal the names of suspected top members of the Al Qaeda network detained here, adding that a list of names it had given to the UN only covered members of the group already extradited by Iran.

“Regarding the people who are in Iran, the Islamic republic prefers not to disclose their names because of the security issues,” foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters.

When asked if some of the detainees could be classed as high-ranking — confirmed several months ago by other officials — Asefi replied that “what I know is that there are a number.”

On Saturday, state media reported that Iran had finally revealed to the UN Security Council the names of scores of suspected al-Qaeda members in its custody.

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

But Asefi said all those extradited were not believed to include any senior members of the group.—AFP