Alqaeda, Iran: Why Sen. McCain is Right?

Presidential candidate McCain singled out Iran as sending al Qaeda terrorists to Iraq. Senator McCain was criticized for confusing the Shia terrorists with the Sunni Al Qaeda terrorists.

Given the verbal attacks of the Al Qaeda on the Iran, it was argued that Iran does not tolerate al Qaeda- let alone harbor it and send its terrorist to Iraq!

Mr. Abdel Rahman Al Rashid’s article in the Al Sharq Al Awsat newspaper titled "Al Qaeda, Iran and Israel: What Relationship?” reads that despite the verbal attacks of Al Qaeda on Israel and Iran, the organization never attacked either country or their interests. http://www.elaph.com/ElaphWeb/NewsPapers/2008/4/319595.htm.

The Al Qaeda attacked US and Saudi interests, but not Iranian or Israeli ones. Mr. Al Rashed writes that Saad Osama Bin Laden and Sayf Al Adl, another A Qaeda figure, are in Iran, where they sought refuge from the American onslaught on Afghanistan. These two Iran-based Al Qaeda terrorists, he states, plotted for terrorist attacks on Saudi Arabia. Phone calls made by these two and other al Qaeda terrorists were traced back to Iran- these calls ordered bombings in Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Al Rashid concludes that this means Iran is involved in at least some of the operations of Al Qaeda- as McCain stated. Below is a quote from the Al Rashid column.

اي ان القاعدة تتحاشى التعرض لايران لانها تمسك بابن ابن لادن وبعض كبار قياداته. المؤكد انهم نشطون، بدليل انهم خططوا لعمليات في الخارج، حيث التقطت اتصالاتهم الهاتفية من ايران وهم يعطون الإذن بالتفجير الذي وقع في الرياض. فهل هذا يجعل ايران ضالعة في توجيه بعض عمليات القاعدة، اي تعمل معها وليسوا مجرد رهائن؟ هناك ادلة كثيرة ضد ايران من بينها ان العمليات الهائلة في العراق نفذت بألغام وأسلحة ايرانية

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