| A recent visit to Iran by Syrian President Bashar Al Assad may be behind an expected change of attitude by Iran towards the al Qaeda suspects being protected by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, according to Iranian sources who spoke to Asharq Al Awsat. Asad supposedly told Iran about a U.S. plan to strike strategic Iranian locations after the U.S. elections in November and pointed out that the presence of al Qaeda members in the country could be used as justification. Sources told Asharq Al Awsat there were 384 members of terrorist organizations in Iran, including 18 al Qaeda leaders. Meanwhile, sources also told the paper that Khaled Al Harbi, who recently surrendered to Saudi authorities after pressure by Iran, was allegedly suspected of having relations with the CIA, which is why the Iranian RG separated him from the rest of the al Qaeda elements. |