Khartoum, Tehran denied links to smuggled Gold
Sudan-USA, Politics, 9/6/2002

Sudanese officials on Wednesday denied a report issued by the Washington Post on Tuesday saying that al-Qaida network and the Taliban movement had sent gold shipments to Sudan during the recent weeks. Similarly, Iran denied to have had played the role of the mediator in this regard.

The Washington Post quoted European, Pakistani and American investigators saying that Gold was sent by sea from Pakistan to Iran or the United Arab Emirates UAE and from there by rented planes to Khartoum.

The Sudanese minister of the interior Abdul Raheem Muhammad Hussein, according to the Sudanese paper al- Sahafi al-Dawli on Tuesday said that this is " a lie. Sudan is fighting terrorism and has no links to al-Qaida or Taliban or any other elements linked to them." The Sudanese minister added that Sudan imposes tough control on the borders in order to prevent the sneaking of any extremist members.

To this effect, the spokesman for the Iranian government Abdullah Ramadan Zada denied what was stated in the report.

He said in a press conference "there have been always claims" and that this is "in the service of Israel's interests."

Previous Stories:
  Sudanese FM confers with American delegation   (8/17/2002)
  Al-Bashir confers with US official on end of war   (7/4/2002)
  US pressures Sudan on slavery issue   (5/25/2002)

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