Posted on 02/14/2014 6:17:31 PM PST by Seizethecarp
A senior al-Qaeda figure with close ties to the terrorist group’s current leader has left Iran, where he had lived for years after fleeing American forces in Afghanistan in 2001, according to former and current U.S. intelligence officials.
Thirwat Shihata is the latest suspected terrorist to leave Iran, raising questions about the country’s motives for allowing or forcing the departure of a string of al-Qaeda members that it had sheltered over the past decade.
A top-secret 2008 U.S. document, which was leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, lists 13 senior al-Qaeda figures or associates in Iran. Five were listed as “senior management” in the terror group and of those, three have left Iran in recent years.
It is not clear when Shihata departed Iran, but a former U.S. official, who also requested anonymity, said he was believed to have traveled to Libya. The CIA declined to discuss Shihata’s whereabouts.
The former official said there was information that while in Libya in 2013, Shihata possibly met Ruqai, also known as Anas al-Libi, and Zubayr al-Maghrebi, another al-Qaeda figure who has left Iran.
U.S. forces captured Ruqai in Tripoli, Libya, in October and questioned him on a U.S. warship for days before moving him to New York to face trial on federal charges that he helped plan the bombing of the U.S. embassies in East Africa in 1998.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
“A top-secret 2008 U.S. document, which was leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, lists 13 senior al-Qaeda figures or associates in Iran.”
Something not right!
And now, with Obama’s EO, he can come here.
Freedom of movement safer now?
...he’s headed to the US to enroll on Odungocare...
At one time, Bin Ladin’s family and inner circle were given refuge in Iran. As far as I knew the family was still there.
The “senior Al Qaeda” may be some of that inner circle.
Are they getting back into the game? Or has Iran tired of them?
I remember one of the sons went to Lebanon during some of the fighting there to supposedly take the fight to Israel, though I wondered if he just wanted out of Iran. I seem to have heard of a daughter that wanted out.
It would seem they have new targets to go after, like the US.
“...raising questions about the country’s motives ...”
There is no question at all. Iran is a safe haven where they can develop their nefarious plans, then come and go as they please to execute them - much like Iraq was in Hussein’s time.
With the US pulling out of Afghanistan, they may be headed there to make it once again a base for world terrorism.
“..raising questions about the country’s motives,” - really??
A top-secret 2008 U.S. document, which was leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, lists 13 senior al-Qaeda figures or associates in Iran. Five were listed as “senior management” in the terror group and of those, three have left Iran in recent years. It is not clear when Shihata departed Iran, but a former U.S. official, who also requested anonymity, said he was believed to have traveled to Libya.Thanks Seizethecarp.
No he resigned because he wanted to spend more time with his 18 wives.
Agreed. It sounds like they are repositioning their leaders. They have Libya and will have Afghanistan despite the Taliban.
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