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Envoy says Iran prioritizes fight against terror

IRNA

Riyadh, Nov 7, IRNA -- Iran`s Ambassador to Riyadh Ali-Asghar Khaji 
said here Thursday that Iran attaches high priority to the fight 
against terrorism adding that the country has been itself a victim of 
terror. 
In an interview with the Saudi daily Al-Riyadh, Khaji said the 
Iranian border guards and police have arrested some 2,300 people 
entering the Iranian territory illegally. 
He said Iran suspects these people have links to terrorists and 
that it`s why it has informed the Untied Nations of their names and 
whereabouts. 
Khaji said these people had been arrested between November 2002 
and July 2003 adding a list of the suspects has been sent to the UN. 
He referred to the UN Resolution 1455 that calls on the countries 
to cooperate to fight and uproot terrorism and said the Islamic 
Republic of Iran would press on its efforts to counter terror in 
cooperation with other states. 
He said Iran has been for years victim of terrorism and that it`s 
why it has decided to get involved in attempts to eradicate terrorism.
Elsewhere, he touched on the good relations between Iran and Saudi 
Arabia and underlined the prime importance of the security cooperation
between the two regional powers. 
He said Iran has recently extradited a number of Al-Qaeda members 
it had nabbed to Saudi officials. 
He was pleased with the growing ties between Tehran and Riyadh in 
all areas. 
A report on Al-Qaeda prepared and submitted by Iran to the United 
Nations Security Council was released as an official document on 
October 23. 
The report included names of 78 members linked to the Al-Qaeda 
terrorist network who had been arrested in Iran and then extradited 
to their countries of origin. 
Iran`s representative to the United Nations Javad Zarif said it 
had presented a list to the world body that includes 147 names of 
other members of the terrorist network as well as several suspects for
whom legal proceedings are under way. 
The report said more than 2,300 persons entering the Iranian 
territory illegally between October 2002 and April 2003 had been 
handed over to the Pakistani border guards adding that the names of 
these persons have also been given to the UN committee. 
During the US/British-led war on Iraq, Iranian officers prevented 
the entry to Iran of 400 people linked to Al-Qaeda. 
Iran has categorically said non of those arrested in its territory
was of Iranian nationality. 
HB/214 
End