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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Khatami foiled an al-Qaeda/IRGC plot? |
| 2004-06-07 |
| Elements from Iran’s security agencies, specifically the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and its Qods Force or Jerusalem Force, which is responsible for extra-territorial operations, tried to help al Qaeda cells hit U.S. and European targets in Arab Gulf states, according to Asharq Al Awsat. A front-page article on this allegation was published last month in the London-based paper, which is among the most prominent in the Arabic-language press. The plot was foiled when it leaked out to the Iranian president, reformer Mohammed Khatami, according to Asharq Al Awsat. According to the newspaper, a source closely associated with the Iranian presidential office’s security agency said a Revolutionary Guards official sent a report to the agency, without the knowledge of his superiors, detailing the entry of al Qaeda members into Iran to connect with sympathetic elements in the Revolutionary Guards. There have long been rumors and allegations about Iranian cooperation with al Qaeda, and Iran has admitted to "holding" al Qaeda operatives. But this specific report by Asharq Al Awsat has so far not been confirmed by independent sources. It is possible that this is an attempt by Asharq Al Awsat, a newspaper sponsored by Saudi Arabia, to smear Iran as a rogue state prone to supporting terrorism. Asharq Al Awsat says the Iranian official who leaked the information on the alleged al Qaeda-Revolutionary Guards collaboration has access to information on top al Qaeda operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and that the al Qaeda members allegedly entering Iran were tied to al-Zarqawi. According to the Asharq Al Awsat, these al Qaeda members intended to go to Arab states in the Gulf where they planned to form five cells: each one was to be in charge of targeting U.S. and European missions and commercial centers in a different Gulf state. Also, the report indicated that at the time, a number of men from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and the Qods Force had vowed to help the five terrorist cells and provide them with explosives and financial support. One of the units that belongs to the Revolutionary Guards and is based outside Iran was to hand the al Zarqawi cells a large quantity of explosives, the newspaper said. A bag containing 900,000 dollars was given to an official in the Qods who in turn was to travel to a Gulf State and hand it to one of Al Zarqawi’s aides. As soon as an official closely associated with President Khatami notified the president of this plot Khatami gave instructions to his security agency to foil the plan in any possible way that they saw fit. The Iranian Ministry of Security was also notified about the plan, says Asharq Al Awsat. This ministry took quick and decisive steps to foil the plan, including arresting al Qaeda members and Al Zarqawi men in Iranian territory and detaining the official from the Qods Force in an airport while a bag full of American dollars was in his possession. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #1 It is possible that this is an attempt by Asharq Al Awsat, a newspaper sponsored by Saudi Arabia, to smear Iran as a rogue state prone to supporting terrorism Pot, meet kettle |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-06-07 8:55:14 PM |