Washington, Oct 8: Even though the Bush administration was “not interested” (in its help), after the 9/11 air attacks, Iran had provided it with key assistance in identifying hundreds of Arabs to counter terrorist organization Al Qaeda, by sending copies of passports of around 300 passports, revealed a former US administration official.

With the objective of having a broader relationship with the US, Iran also denied sanctuary to suspected al Qaeda operatives, added the former US official.

On the basis of the copies of passports, the US investigators interrogated these Arab nationals and even expelled many.

The copies of passports were sent to the then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, who passed them to the US, and US interrogators were given a chance by Iran to question some of the detainees, the CBS quoted Leverett as saying in an interview with a news agency.

Leverett, a Middle East expert who was a career US Foreign Service officer with the US administration, said she negotiated with Iran for the Bush administration in the 2001-3 period and Iran sought a ‘broader relationship’ with the US. “They thought they had been helpful on al Qaeda, and they were,” she said.

According to the report, many of the expelled Arabs were deported to Saudi Arabia and other Arab and Muslim countries.

Confirming Iran’s help, James F. Dobbins, the Bush administration''s chief negotiator on Afghanistan in late 2001, also said that Iran was “comprehensively helpful” in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in working to overthrow the Taliban militias’ rule and collaborating with the US to install the Karzai government in Kabul. (ANI)