Posted on 03/22/2008 12:42:41 PM PDT by PROCON
In recent weeks, two news reports have circulated referencing Iran’s relationship with al Qaeda.
On Tuesday, March 18th, Senator John McCain repeatedly stated that Iran was aiding al Qaeda in Iraq. Later, however, he retracted this statement and said that Iran was not aiding al Qaeda in Iraq.
Senator McCain was right the first time and he should not have retracted his statement. In fact, al Qaeda and Iran have a rather long history of cooperation.
A few days before Senator McCain’s unfortunate retraction, a senior military adviser to the Barack Obama campaign, retired Air Force General Merrill McPeak, was quoted in the March 15th edition of the Washington Times as saying, “Iran is a big enemy of al Qaeda.”
General McPeak’s statement astonishes in its ignorance; especially coming from a flag rank retired military officer.
The shadowy relationship between Iran and al Qaeda was first revealed in the report issued by the bipartisan, independent 9-11 Commission back in 2004.
In compiling that exhaustive report, the 9-11 Commission interviewed over 1,000 people from at least 10 countries. Among the conclusions that they reached regarding Iran and al Qaeda:
• In late 1991 or early 1992, in meetings held in Sudan, Iran agreed to train al Qaeda operatives. Not long afterwards, al Qaeda terrorists traveled to Iran and received training in explosives. Subsequent to this, al Qaeda terrorists also traveled to Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, where they received training from Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
• Once Osama bin Laden moved from Sudan to Afghanistan and established terrorist training camps there, Iran facilitated the transit of Jihadists to al Qaeda training camps through Iran. This facilitation included making an exception for al Qaeda terrorists in stamping passports when they passed through Iran to Afghanistan. This made it impossible for countries to know when someone had attended a training camp in Afghanistan because there was no record of transit into Afghanistan on the passport. This policy particularly benefited Saudi members of al Qaeda and the Commission reported that 8 to 10 of the Saudi 9/11 hijackers transited Iran.
• The Commission reported that intelligence reports indicated continued contacts between al Qaeda and Iranian officials after bin Laden had moved back to Afghanistan and made the recommendation that the U.S. government investigate further the ties between al Qaeda and Iran.
Other reports have reinforced the findings of the 9-11 Commission, including evidence of al Qaeda-Iran cooperation in Iraq.
• In November 2006, England’s Telegraph newspaper reported Western intelligence agencies as saying that Iran was training al Qaeda operatives in Tehran and also that Iran had “always maintained close relations with al Qaeda” despite differences between their Shiite and Sunni philosophies.
• In January 2007, as reported by Eli Lake of the New York Sun, U.S. forces in Iraq captured documents detailing Iranian activities in Iraq, including that Iran’s infamous Revolutionary Guards Quds Force was working with al Qaeda in Iraq.
• In May 2007, as reported by Bill Roggio, Coalition Forces captured a messenger carrying messages from al Qaeda in Iraq leaders to senior al Qaeda leaders who have long been in safe haven in Iran, including Osama Bin Laden’s son, Said Bin Laden.
• Also in May 2007, England’s Guardian newspaper reported that Iran was secretly forging ties with al Qaeda elements in Iraq in an attempt to launch a summer offensive designed to prompt the U.S. Congress to vote for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.
• In July 2007, the Financial Times reported that “western officials” said that Iranian territory was being used as a base by al Qaeda for terrorist operations in Iraq.
• In October 2007, the Dallas Morning News reported on warnings from Kurds in northern Iraq of Iranian support for an al Qaeda affiliate, Ansar al-Islam, in their region of Iraq.
• In February 2008, the chief of the Iraqi Intelligence Service, Muhamad Abdullah al-Shahwani and Tamir Al-Tamimi, an advisor to the Iraqi Awakenings Councils (a key component in the success of the US counterinsurgency strategy this year) told the Iraqi news service, Azzaman, that Iran was targeting the Awakening Councils with al Qaeda.
Most of the skepticism over Iranian involvement with al Qaeda has centered on the fact that Iran is ruled by a Shia Islamic theocracy, whereas al Qaeda is a Sunni Wahhabi Islamic group. Many are under the mistaken belief that Shiites and Sunnis are only arch enemies and will never work with each other.
This quaint notion flies in the face of reality.
There are at least three other major examples of Iranian cooperation with militant Sunni organizations besides al Qaeda:
• HAMAS is a Sunni Palestinian Jihadist terrorist organization. Both HAMAS and Iran have acknowledged publicly that, at the very least, Iran funds HAMAS. The most recent reports out of Israel indicate that HAMAS has personnel training in Iran.
• In January 2007, Iran and Sudan exchanged military delegations and subsequently announced a military accord for mutual training, education and technical cooperation. At the signing ceremony, the Iranian speaker of the parliament, Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, said that Iran’s and Sudan’s mutual enemies were “focused on a strategy of disintegrating the Islamic states by stirring up sectarian conflict between Shiite and Sunni Muslims” and that "The only way to foil the satanic plot is strengthening unity among Muslim nations.”
The Sudanese delegate, Sudanese Defence Minister Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein, responded that he appreciated Iran’s role in helping foster solidarity among Muslim nations, and said that the Islamic Revolution under leadership of the late Imam Khomeini was the greatest event of the century in the Islamic history, because it opened the way for unity between Shiite and Sunni Muslims.
• Finally, in November of 2006, the United Nations issued a report that included information that Iran had provided the Sunni Islamic Courts in Somalia – a group which has since been linked to al Qaeda – with “shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, grenade launchers, machine guns, ammunition, medicine, uniforms and other supplies.” The UN report also said that Iran may have sought uranium in Somalia.
In other words, overwhelming evidence clearly shows that it is General McPeak who should issue a retraction and Senator McCain who should have stuck to his guns and stood by his original statement.
Iran and Al Qaeda are in league, and have been for some time. The sooner politicians on both sides of the aisle educate themselves about this reality, the more effective our global war on terrorism can be.
If it is not done by the End of June, it’s not going to happen on Bush’s watch.
Why, because of the summer congressional recess?
I believe if they're is an imminent threat, like Al Qaeda has promised, Bush could order it.
Besides, I just love to drive the left nuts! :)
On one hand they may lie low until after the election, hoping for a dem win. If no attacks occur the the rats will say “see, there’s no threat, Pres. Bush made it all up! Pull the troops out now!”
Iran-AQ ping
Everything is somehow politically motivated. I'm ready for a big revelation (probably false), about McCain in late October, (just like Bush's DWI).
I think their is more of an advantage to military action against Iran than not.
It would drive the few patriotic democrats over to McCain and sew up the independent vote, IMHO.
The "Bushitler and Darth Cheney" crowd are in the obamanation camp and will never vote Repub.
McCain has to get the word out in the msm. Articles like this one and others that show that the President did not lie and war against Iraq was our only rational choice.
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