TEHRAN, July 16 (Xinhuanet) -- Iran has foiled five al-Qaida conspiracies against it and detained or expelled nearly 3,000 al-Qaida members, Intelligence Minister Ali Younesi said on Saturday.

    "Currently some 200 al-Qaida members are in Iranian prisons," Younesi told the official IRNA news agency.

    "Since the collapse of the Taliban in Afghanistan, al-Qaida made five waves of attempts against Iran which have all been thwarted," Younesi said.

    Meanwhile, Younesi accused the United States and Israel of recruiting former al-Qaida members.

    The statement is believed to be the most detailed and comprehensive official revelation on Tehran's al-Qaida crackdown so far.

    The United States has repeatedly accused Iran of sponsoring terrorists, labeling it as a member of the "Axis of Evil."

    Tehran has vehemently rejected the charge, saying Washington is to blame for the growth of many terrorist groups including al-Qaida.

    Iran says that it strongly opposes any form of terrorism from which the Iranians also suffer greatly. Enditem