69 million page views

Iran plotting to groom bin Laden's successor

Reader comment on item: Ahmadinejad - Hostage Taker?
in response to reader comment: Dan, I love your work, and read you all the time, but on this one???

Submitted by AS (India), Nov 14, 2006 at 02:37

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=0YYYCLGSGWSS5QFIQMFSFGGAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/news/2006/11/14/wiran14.xml

Iran is trying to form an unholy alliance with al-Qa'eda by grooming a new generation of leaders to take over from Osama bin Laden, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.

Western intelligence officials say the Iranians are determined to take advantage of bin Laden's declining health to promote senior officials who are known to be friendly to Teheran.

Tony Blair addressing the Lord Mayor's banquet last night
The revelation will deal a major blow to Tony Blair's hopes of establishing a "new partnership" with Teheran.

Addressing the Lord Mayor's banquet in London last night — an occasion traditionally used by the Prime Minister to set out the Government's foreign policy — Mr Blair said he wanted to launch a diplomatic initiative to secure peace in Iraq by establishing dialogue with Iran and ending threats of military force against the regime.

He confirmed that a major rethink of strategy was under way on both sides of the Atlantic as he offered Iran a partnership rather than isolation if it stopped supporting terrorism in Lebanon or Iraq and halted attempts to develop nuclear weapons.

With the British and American governments looking for an exit strategy from Iraq, the Prime Minister admitted that they needed Iran's co-operation to prevent the country descending into civil war and to secure an overall Middle East peace settlement.

But the revelation that Iran is working hard to establish a closer relationship with bin Laden's fanatics, who provoked the war against terrorism with the attacks on September 11 2001, is likely to undermine severely Downing Street's attempts to effect a rapprochement. Iran is also suspected of arming insurgent groups in southern Iraq – many of which have links to al-Qa'eda – that have been responsible for many of the roadside bomb attacks against British troops.

But intelligence officials have been most alarmed by reports from Iran that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is trying to persuade al-Qa'eda to promote a pro-Iranian activist to a senior position within its leadership.

The Iranians want Saif al-Adel, a 46-year-old former colonel in Egypt's special forces, to be the organisation's number three.

Al-Adel was formerly bin Laden's head of security, and was named on the FBI's 22 most wanted list after September 11 for his alleged involvement in terror attacks against US targets in Somalia and Africa in the 1990s. He has been living in a Revolutionary Guard guest house in Teheran since fleeing from Afghanistan in late 2001.

Alarm over al-Qa'eda deepened yesterday with a Foreign Office warning that the group was determined to acquire the technology to carry out a nuclear attack on the West.

A senior Foreign Office official said that the terrorists were trawling the world for the materials and know-how to mount an attack using nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.

The official said: "We know that the aspiration is there, we know attempts to gather materials are there, we know that attempts to gather technologies are there."

In last night's speech, the Prime Minister said that he wanted to see constructive engagement with the whole of the Middle East.

"A major part of the answer to Iraq lies not in Iraq itself but outside it, in the whole of the region where the same forces are at work and where the roots of this global terrorism are to be found," he added.

"That is what I call a "whole Middle East" strategy.

"There is a fundamental misunderstanding that this is about changing policy on Syria and Iran. First, those two countries do not at all share identical interests. But in any event that is not where we start.

"On the contrary, we should start with Israel/Palestine. That is the core. We should then make progress on Lebanon. We should unite all moderate Arab and Muslim voices behind a push for peace in those countries but also in Iraq. We should be standing up for, empowering, respecting those with a moderate and modern view of the faith of Islam everywhere."

But Mr Blair's hopes of a dialogue with Teheran were dealt a further blow last night when President George W Bush rejected the notion that talks with Iran were the key to undermining the Iraq insurgency.

He insisted that Iran should pay the consequences for continuing work on its nuclear enrichment programme.

"It's very important for the"threat to our world security". Last night he was more measured on Iran.

"To be fair, they have a genuine, if entirely misplaced fear, that the US seeks a military solution in Iran. They don't," Mr Blair said.

Iran had already rejected the US's offer of the first direct talks for 30 years if it abided by the UN demand to suspend uranium enrichment. It was now using "pressure points" in the region to thwart America and Britain.

"So they help the most extreme elements of Hamas in Palestine; Hizbollah in Lebanon; Shia militia in Iraq," said Mr Blair.

He said Iran faced a clear choice: help the Middle East peace process, not hinder it; stop supporting terrorism; and abide by, not flout, international obligations.

"In that case a new partnership is possible, or alternatively they face the consequences of not doing so: isolation," he added.

Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

<< Previous Comment      Next Comment >>

Reader comments (60) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
The nose and the ears do not lie! [11 words]David JSep 24, 2012 11:30199064
kommersant photo is not Ahmadinejad [20 words]JonathanOct 10, 2009 14:05162904
Ahmadinejad the 12th Imam warrior [108 words]Lujack SkylarkOct 5, 2007 13:42110405
Remember 1933... [39 words]SchwartzDec 26, 2006 10:3870597
1Re: Remember 1933 [125 words]Joseph WabacioaOct 11, 2007 13:3870597
Re: Remember 1933 [126 words]Dusk BennettApr 1, 2009 02:1470597
1Listen to H. Kissinger [92 words]Octavio JohansonNov 22, 2006 15:5966991
We can still afford to wait this one out. [330 words]Peter HerzNov 22, 2006 09:0766956
Bottom line [60 words]Paul M.Nov 20, 2006 10:5966708
Just talk [130 words]Octavio JohansonNov 20, 2006 06:2066700
an apocalyptic cult puppet with a nuke? [369 words]trans-parereNov 19, 2006 02:5666573
Carter - nice man, humanitarian, but too soft as US President [168 words]TreborNov 16, 2006 01:1466284
Reply to Trebor [85 words]RachelleNov 20, 2006 07:2466284
I always thought they probably had the wrong picture the first time. [213 words]Sammy FinkelmanNov 15, 2006 16:4866223
hostage taken [33 words]janNov 15, 2006 16:0666212
hostage taken [4 words]S SSep 26, 2012 15:5766212
Moot issue [235 words]No DhimmiNov 15, 2006 11:0366194
hard to take seriously [68 words]clazyNov 15, 2006 11:0166193
I wish it were [40 words]MSNov 14, 2006 23:3166160
Ahmadinejad in original AP photo? [149 words]S DuerrNov 14, 2006 20:5166145
It's not the same man & this isn't important! [63 words]Morton DoodslagNov 14, 2006 20:1166140
The pictures appear to be of two different people [7 words]The Fake DetectiveNov 14, 2006 17:3166130
Ahmadinejad's ears [19 words]Richard L.A. SchaeferNov 14, 2006 13:5866088
So! [75 words]HarrakNov 14, 2006 13:4166087
Look at the hands and the HK G3 . . . [16 words]A. KynikosNov 13, 2006 23:3666053
Surprise! [2 words]Abu NudnikNov 13, 2006 22:2566046
Hostage Taker [115 words]Bill IrelandNov 16, 2006 13:3166046
Yes, of course Bill [273 words]Abu NudnikNov 18, 2006 18:5766046
What does it matter? The world yawns anyway... [131 words]tblumNov 13, 2006 16:2766025
It's him, i have no doubt. [45 words]JackdawNov 13, 2006 16:2566024
Nuclear proliferation [62 words]Morton LevineNov 13, 2006 15:4566020
An interesting view of Ahmadinejad's true nature! [28 words]David Mc FaddenNov 13, 2006 15:2566017
Your statment about Ahmadinejad's extremism [36 words]Benjamin LandauNov 13, 2006 14:1666014
What the Diff [49 words]BlackspeareNov 13, 2006 13:4266008
reaching... [73 words]GWNov 13, 2006 13:4066007
It doesn't surprise me [68 words]Robin Sue LandsburgNov 13, 2006 13:2866003
The powerful and enduring humiliation... [250 words]Cowboy WallyNov 13, 2006 13:2866002
not so sure [82 words]DGNov 13, 2006 13:0766001
Hostage Takeover [60 words]Michael SabbethNov 13, 2006 13:0266000
Ahmin-b's photo [35 words]PLRoseNov 13, 2006 11:0565992
Needs wide exposure [12 words]Bruce BirnbergNov 13, 2006 10:2165988
Holding them accountable [41 words]David W. LincolnNov 13, 2006 10:0965987
the hostage taker [260 words]robert fusfeldNov 13, 2006 08:4365985
Fusfeld, the man you can't fool [111 words]InfidelNov 13, 2006 16:5065985
1979 [94 words]Donald W. BalesNov 13, 2006 08:3865984
Old news [101 words]jrNov 13, 2006 08:2565983
It's him but is he a hostage taker [72 words]JkeilerNov 13, 2006 07:2465981
Optical Engineering Resources. [105 words]Geni (GNC).Nov 13, 2006 07:1665980
Arrest Ahmadinejad [128 words]Octavio JohansonNov 13, 2006 06:4865979
TO OCTAVIO JOHANSON ABOUT ARRESTING THE HITLER ISLAMIC FASCIST AHMADINEJAD FROM IRAN -GREAT COMMENT [191 words]TIRDAD GHARIBAug 4, 2008 13:1065979
The mad Mullahs of Teheran [153 words]Octavio JohansonNov 13, 2006 03:3865971
I don't think it's him [63 words]AshNov 13, 2006 03:3265970
Dan, I love your work, and read you all the time, but on this one??? [160 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Douglas G. LowensteinNov 13, 2006 02:5565964
Iran plotting to groom bin Laden's successor [862 words]ASNov 14, 2006 02:3765964
A worthy partner [63 words]Yuval Brandstetter MDNov 14, 2006 08:0365964
Where do we go from there? [123 words]Octavio JohansonNov 15, 2006 09:5265964
Nuke Iranian Nuclear Facilities as soon as possible [63 words]AshishNov 16, 2006 12:1465964
Follow the example of Argentina [31 words]Maggie4LifeNov 13, 2006 02:5465963
Ahmadinejad is the Ayotollahs' Front [137 words]rajeshNov 14, 2006 22:4065963
Ahmadinejad - Hostage Taker? [108 words]Rachelle AssoulineNov 21, 2006 14:1765963

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)