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American Morning

Reports Al Qaeda Fighters Being Harbored in Iran, Iraq

Aired August 28, 2002 - 09:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Meanwhile, other news this morning, as reports that Al Qaeda fighters are being harbored in Iran and Iraq, where they're now plotting new attacks. Iran denies the accusation. Those fighters reportedly include some of Osama bin Laden's deputies, one of whom the U.S. military said had been killed in Afghanistan.
Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon.

Dead or alive? Which one is it, Barbara?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Dayrn, it is very hard to know. As we've discussed earlier this morning, there are now growing reports that top Al Qaeda leaders are in both Iraq and Iran.

Now, no U.S. officials, of course, have laid eyes on and of these men. So all of this depends on reports they are getting from foreign intelligence services and other reports from in the region. But U.S. officials do tell us this morning that they now believe that there are top level Al Qaeda leaders hiding out in Iran just across the border from Afghanistan.

One of them, they believe, is a man nicknamed Abu Half (ph), also known as the Moretainium (ph). Now this man is a well-known top bin Laden lieutenant who the U.S. originally thought they had killed in Afghanistan this past winter, but they now have what they think are credible reports he is alive and hiding over the border in Iran. He is known to be the religious voice of the Al Qaeda, we are told.

Another top Al Qaeda operational planner that they believe may be in Iran is an Egyptian. His same is a Saeef Al Adell (ph). Has also is reported to be in Iran, and he been involved in operational planning of previous Al Qaeda attacks. So there is a lot of concern about these people, that they are part of a larger group of Al Qaeda in Iran. possibly planning future attacks.

As far as Iraq goes, U.S. intelligence believes there is a man named Abu Mussab Zaqari (ph), hiding in northern Iraq under the protection of Kurdish militants. This Al Qaeda suspect has ties to the Hezbollah and is said to be involved in Al Qaeda's effort to get chemical and biological weapons. The key question here in both of these countries, of course, is to what extent those governments are officially sanctioning the harboring of these Al Qaeda. Nobody knows that for sure -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Barbara Starr, very thorough, from the Pentagon this morning. Appreciate it. Thank you very much. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com