South Africa, US in talks on al Qaeda suspects

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 23 (Reuters) South Africa is holding talks with the United States on two South Africans Washington wants placed on a UN list of people with suspected ties to al Qaeda, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said today.

''We are speaking with the Americans on this issue,'' said Ronnie Mamoepa, without elaborating.

On Sunday, Mamoepa confirmed a report in the local Sunday Times that Farhad Dockrat and his cousin Junaid Dockrat had been placed on the UN list of suspected militants on Friday for alleged links to al Qaeda and the Taliban.

He said today the United States had submitted papers to the UN Security Council alleging the two men were involved in financing and facilitating for al Qaeda but no UN decision had been made.

Under UN procedures, the Security Council committee in charge of adding names to the list of people suspected of ties to al Qaeda or the Taliban in Afghanistan allows members to propose names during a five-day ''silence'' period.

The names are expected to become final on Friday unless any member objects.

Mamoepa did not say whether South Africa, which currently holds a non-permanent seat on the Security Council, would object or if his government felt Washington had sufficient evidence against the Dockrats.

Junaid, a dentist, and Farhad, a cleric, have denied the allegations and said they would be willing to take the matter up in court.

Shaheed Dollie, the lawyer for the two men, told Reuters the Dockrats made written submissions to the South African government today and he would seek access to the papers the United States has submitted to the United Nations.

He said he had no idea why the United States suspected his clients were tied to al Qaeda.

REUTERS AB PM1810