Al Qaeda linked to Iran or America, both or neither?

by Mark Pyruz

Recent Canadian allegations of a terror plot by al Qaeda linked to Iran are best put forward by Bill Roggio at the Long War Journal. Bill has well established links with the United States military and does a good job of presenting our military's perspectives on Iranian moves in the Middle Eastern region and beyond. To quote Bill Roggio:

"Iran's ties to al Qaeda are well documented. In recent years, the US government has added several Iran-based al Qaeda leaders and operatives to its list of specially designated global terrorists, and even noted a "secret deal" between the Iranian government and al Qaeda." 

To read the rest of Bill's narrative (which conforms to the official U.S. narrative), click HERE.

It must be pointed out, however, objective observers have a hard time swallowing this narrative. It seems highly unlikely that the Islamic Republic of Iran would link itself with al Qaeda, an entity that is generating so much discord inside Iraq in the form of terror attacks, while at the same time arguably representing the most effective fighting force combating the Assad regime inside Syria, both countries being Iran's closest allies in the region and the world.

Furthermore, the same or similar supposed "well documented ties" between Iran and al Qaeda were also put forward in previous claims of Iran harboring Osoma bin Laden. As is well known now, Osama bin Laden was actually hiding out in Pakistan, America's security client in the GWOT, a virtual stone's throw from a Pakistani military academy. Here's President Ahmadinejad responding previously to charges put forward by George Stephanopoulos that Iran was harboring Osama bin Laden [6:30]:



Amusing when looking back on that moment, right? And the same way Ahmadinejad thought such charges a joke (even going so far as to point out by implication past "well documented" U.S. associations with what would become al Qaeda, as well as the Taliban), Iran's current foreign minister Salehi responded in similar fashion to charges that Iran is allied with al Qaeda in a recent foiled terror plot in Canada.

For their part, the Iranians also maintain a somewhat analog position toward 9/11 and official U.S. complicity in that heinous attack, in the form of putting forward their acceptance of a conspiracy theory alleging a linkage between the Bush administration and al Qaeda (no matter how that may offend our own American sensibilities on the subject, which may or may not be the intended effect). Here's Ahmadinejad making the case that 9/11 was "an inside job" at the UN:



For objective observers such as this writer, when it comes to charges and counter-charges of linkages with al Qaeda by Iran, the United States or even Canada, experience dictates that such claims be critically examined.