Iran forging alliance with Al-Qaeda? (updated)

By Jeffrey Imm

EDITOR'S NOTE, 6:10 pm ET: Reliable sources with ties to international intelligence agencies told us today that the "Daily Telegraph" story upon which this post is based is just plain wrong.

The Daily Telegraph reports today that Iran is seeking to wield influence within Al-Qaeda to help name its number three individual in the Al-Qaeda organization. If accurate, the report states that Ahmadinejad is trying to persuade Al-Qaeda to promote a pro-Iranian activist (Saif Al-Adel) to a senior position within its leadership.

For the past three years, U.S. intelligence officials have said a shadowy group called the "al Quds force"-- the Jerusalem force -- part of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard organization, may be sheltering some al Qaeda leaders, including its military commander, Saif Al-Adel, and Saad Bin Laden, son of the al Qaeda leader.

It is now reported that Iran is seeking Saif Al-Adel to fill the number three position of the Al-Qaeda organization. It is also reported that is believed that Osama Bin Laden health problems may be causing Iran's push to have Saif Al-Adel in that role to complement Zawahiri. According to reports from Western intelligence agencies, Iran is training senior Al-Qaeda operatives in Teheran to take over the organisation when bin Laden is no longer leader. For some time, military officials have claimed that Iran is providing Iraqi terrorists with arms.

Background on Saif Al-Adel: "Al-Adel, 46, a former colonel in Egypt's special forces who joined al-Qa'eda after fighting with the Mujahideen against Soviet forces in Afghanistan in the 1980s, was named in the FBI's list of 22 most wanted terrorists that was issued after the September 11 attacks. He is also alleged to have been involved in the deaths of 18 US soldiers in Somalia in 1993 and the truck bomb attacks on the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. Until 2003, al-Adel acted as bin Laden's security chief and since his arrival in Iran he is understood to have struck up a close personal relationship with several prominent Revolutionary Guards commanders."

MEMRI reports that, in October 2006, Jihadist websites posted top secret Iranian document showing that prior to 9/11 indicated Iran's willingness to further Al-Qaeda's "future plans", where Khamenei "has emphasized that 'the battle against the global arrogance headed by the U.S. and Israel is an integral part of our Islamic government, and constitutes its primary goal". 9/11 Commission members have previously reported to press that there was evidence suggesting that the 9/11 hijackers had previously passed through Iran.

Reports in August 2006 stated that Saad Bin Laden was to support Hezbollah fighting.

Sources: Iran plotting to groom bin Laden's successor - Daily Telegraph
Iran 'is training the next al-Qa'eda leaders' - Daily Telegraph
Iraqi terrorists 'are being supplied with arms smuggled from Iran' - Daily Telegraph
Iran 'the victor in war on terror' - Daily Telegraph
MEMRI: Sunni Islamists Websites in Iraq Claim Iranian Top-Secret Document Reveals Iran/Al-Qaeda Contacts Months Before 9/11
Iran frees bin Laden son: newspaper - Iran frees bin Laden son-German newspaper - Saad bin Laden released on July 28 for "building Islamist terror cells and preparing them to fight together with Hizbollah" - August 2006
Die Welt: Bin Laden's son sent to operate against Israel - August 2006
9/11 Commission Finds Ties Between al-Qaeda and Iran - Time
Iran: Al Qaeda suspects sent home - U.S. believes bin Laden spokesman in Iran, including its military commander, Saif al-Adel, and Saad bin Laden, son of the al Qaeda leader - October 2003 - CNN
Iran admits holding al Qaeda operatives - May 2003 - CNN

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