U.S. and foreign intelligence sources are reportedly saying Iran has become a safe-haven for terrorists by allowing them to live there, despite its official protestations to the contrary.
The U.S. has repeatedly warned Tehran not to let Iran become the unofficial address (and hiding place) for terrorists. But, according to the AP , it has become exactly that:
The evidence, which stretches over several years, includes communications by a fugitive mastermind of the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing and the capture of a Saudi militant who appeared in a video in which Osama bin Laden confirmed he ordered the Sept. 11 attacks, according to U.S. and foreign officials.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because much of the evidence remains classified.
Saudi intelligence officers tracked and apprehended Khaled bin Ouda bin Mohammed al-Harbi last year in eastern Iran, officials said. The arrest came nearly three years after the cleric appeared with bin Laden and discussed details of the Sept. 11 planning during a dinner that was videotaped and aired across the world.
The capture was a coup for Saudi Arabia, which spent months tracking him and setting up the intelligence operation that led to his being taken into custody in exchange for eventual amnesty.
The officials said interrogations of al-Harbi, who is now in Saudi Arabia, have yielded confirmation of many al-Qaida tactics, including how members crossed into Iran after the U.S. began military operations to rout al-Qaida and the Taliban from Afghanistan.
The AP story gives the names of a hosts of accused terrorists reportedly getting refuge in Iran — but does add this qualifying note that suggests if terrorists are there it cannot be completely explained by saying “See? The Iranians support terrorists.” What’s going on may be a bit more complex:
Kenneth Katzman, a Middle East analyst at the Congressional Research Service, said the conditions that some of suspected terrorists are living under are unclear. Katzman said it’s possible they are being held in guarded villas and he doubts any detention is uncomfortable.
“I think that Iran sees these guys as something of an insurance policy,” he said. “It’s leverage.”
Rasool Nafisi, a Middle East analyst who studies conservative groups in Iran and travels there frequently for research, said Iran has returned some lower-rank operatives to their home countries but probably is keeping higher-ranking operatives as a bartering chip.
“Remember, Islamic tradition is very much based on haggling,” Nafisi said. “Everything is negotiable, and you haggle for everything. If I were the Iranian government, I’d be very happy to have them and to use them in future negotiations with the United States.”
So there are several scenarios at play here. It’s also worth noting that one Iraq war consquence is that a report like this will be immediately dismissed in some quarters are being meaningless with the suggestion that it’s akin to the U.S.government insistance that there were weaspons of mass destruction in Iraq.
But this report does make sense, if you follow diplomacy and military matters. It is probably likely that the terrorists there are kept under somewhat controlled circumstances as possible future bargaining chips. Few countries these days are heavy handed on terrorism issues. Wait. Let’s amend that: there is SYRIA…
Why is this important? The Iranian terrorism issue and connection is a huge one. Many post-911 books on terrorism mentioned a shadowy connection between global terrorism and the Iranian regime. Plus, the unmentionable issue is a recognition that the U.S. needed to do something about the Iranian regime after 911 but it was far more formidable militarily than the regime in Iraq. Whatever limited action the U.S. (or Israel) takes must face the reality: Iran is NOT like Iraq under Sadaam, particularly in the area of military capability.
There is a ton of stuff on the web — and not just on blogs — on the Iranian terrorism issue. Here are a few:
—Mission for Establishment of Human Rights in Iran
—Washington Post article on how Iranians reject terrorism-instigator-enabler charge and insist these are resistance groups.
—Infoplease take on Iran/terrorism.
—Terror and Tehran: PBS’ Frontline examination. Lots of links to materials.
—Joseph Keller’s piece arguing Iran is the source of Islamic terrorism.
—Death to Theocracy seeks regime change in Iran and offers a host of articles including one on the alleged Iran/terrorism connection.
–There are many relevant articles on Iran Focus.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.