Iran development expected 'soon'

WASHINGTON - With Washington turning up the heat on Iran for alleged al Qaeda operations in the Islamic republic, leading United States lawmakers predicted yesterday a positive development soon in the war on terrorism there.

Iran's Ambassador to the UN said that his country had arrested members of the al Qaeda network of Osama bin Laden, but they had not yet been identified. He also said his country would be willing to turn them over to "friendly Governments," such as Saudi Arabia.

Several of the lawmakers appearing on US television shows served on congressional intelligence panels and suggested a development related to Iran was expected soon.

"There may be good news around the corner, and that's about all I'll say about that," said Pat Roberts, Republican chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

West Virginia Democrat Jay Rockefeller, another member of the panel, said, "There could be some better news on Iran that will be coming out."

None would detail what was expected, but Roberts indicated it was related to US charges that al Qaeda leaders were operating out of Iran and possibly linked to the recent suicide bombings in Saudi Arabia.

"There are efforts being made that would be very productive in regards to Iran and ourselves, with the understanding of the al Qaeda cell that allegedly came from Iran and had something to do with the Saudi Arabia attacks. I think we're going to make some progress on that," Roberts said.

The Washington Post newspaper reported that the White House was to consider an effort to destabilise the Iranian Government through a popular uprising.

White House officials declined to comment. The report, coupled with a decision to cut off contacts with Tehran, followed intelligence reports suggesting al Qaeda operatives in Iran played a role in the May 12 suicide bombings in Saudi Arabia in which 34 people, including eight Americans, died.

Weeks after US forces toppled President Saddam Hussein in Iraq, some lawmakers backed an effort to oust the Government in Iran, short of military action.

"It would be in the interest of the world and most particularly of the Iranian people to have a regime change in Iran," US Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, a Democratic presidential hopeful, said.

Iran's Ambassador to the UN, Javad Zarif, said his country had taken several possible operatives into custody but could not say if they included security chief Saif al-Adel, an Egyptian indicted for conspiracy in the 1998 bombings of two US embassies in east Africa.

US officials say Adel and Saad bin Laden, son of Osama bin Laden, are believed to be in Iran.

Australia's Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, said yesterday that he had raised a string of concerns with Iran, including fugitive al Qaeda members, nuclear proliferation and interference in Iraq, but acknowledged he received few concrete assurances.

Speaking at the end of a one-day visit to the Islamic republic, Downer said he warned Iran not to interfere in Iraq, to arrest al Qaeda members and allow inspections of nuclear facilities.

"I made it clear that the coalition in Iraq does not want any untoward foreign intervention that would make the process of stabilising Iraq more difficult," he said, adding he had heard assurances that Tehran was "committed to a stable, democratic environment in Iraq".

- REUTERS