Article

2006-08-02 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Iran has freed a son of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden from house arrest, a German newspaper reported on Wednesday. Die Welt said the Iranian Revolutionary Guard released Saad bin Laden on July 28 with the aim of sending him to the Syria-Lebanon border. It linked the reported move to the outbreak of war between Israel and Lebanese-based Hizbollah. "From the Lebanese border, he has the task of building Islamist terror cells and preparing them to fight together with Hizbollah," Die Welt said, quoting intelligence information. "Apparently Tehran is counting on recruiting Lebanese refugees in Syria for the fight against Israel, using bin Laden's help," it added in a preview of a report to appear in its Thursday edition.

Western intelligence sources have long suspected that Iran is holding a number of al Qaeda figures, possibly including Saad bin Laden and Saif al-Adel, the network's security chief. Kamal Kharrazi, then Iran's foreign minister, said in January 2004 that Tehran had jailed about a dozen al Qaeda suspects and would put them on trial.

"Our general view is Iran certainly does have a few al Qaeda-related figures The general perception is Iran keeps these people as a bargaining chip," said a European counter-terrorism official when asked about the Die Welt report. He said Shia Muslim Iran was not sympathetic to members of Sunni-dominated al Qaeda but "they protect them as long as they think they can make use of them." Al Qaeda's deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri issued a video message last week in which, while not mentioning Hizbollah by name, he urged Muslims everywhere to "fight and become martyrs" in response to the conflict in Lebanon.

Posted by Fred 2006-08-02 16:24|| || Front Page|| [11136 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Track him.

Posted by Whaling Unomoger7693 2006-08-02 17:09|| 2006-08-02 17:09|| Front Page Top

#2 Sounds like Iran is getting pi$$ed off and/or desperate.

Posted by gorb 2006-08-02 17:36|| 2006-08-02 17:36|| Front Page Top

#3 Iran's harboring of al Qaeda players is just another button on the coat with respect to overthrowing their government with all possible haste. There is absolutely nothing worse that could take the place of Tehran's mullahs. Any power vacuum will only serve to draw in more radicals (to be disposed of onthe spot) or finally summon forth actual leadership intent on reintegrating Iran with the global community.

Posted by Zenster 2006-08-02 17:48|| 2006-08-02 17:48|| Front Page Top

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