| An Iranian general collaborated with al Qaeda to arrange the transit through Iran of nine of the September 11 hijackers, the Arabic newspaper Asharq al-Awsat reported on Monday. "A general in the apparatus (Revolutionary Guard) coordinated with the number two man in al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahri, to provide 'safe passage' to around nine of those who carried out the attacks," the London-based paper said. It cited as its source an official in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and said Zawahri, who requested the help, had links with the general going back to the early 1990s. Iranian government spokesman Abdollah Ramazanzadeh challenged the newspaper to back up its story. "If they have concrete proof they should hand it over to the United Nations, and if they really trust their sources they should let us know too," he told a weekly news conference when asked about the report. |