[Telegraph-UK/New York Sun] Con Coughlin - Iran's Revolutionary Guards are training hundreds of al-Qaeda fighters to carry out attacks against coalition forces throughout the Middle East. The Iranian government has been providing a safe haven for fighters loyal to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror group since they were forced to flee Afghanistan in late 2001. The decision to allow al-Qaeda fighters to train in Iran was made by President Ahmadinejad as part of his policy of attempting to forge closer links with bin Laden's organization. "From the evidence we have seen, Iran's links to al-Qaeda go far deeper than simply supplying them with equipment," a senior Western intelligence official said. "They are allowing them the use of training facilities so that they can ensure their attacks are as effective as possible." Links between Iran and al-Qaeda date back to the early 1990s, when bin Laden was based in Sudan. According to America's 9/11 Commission report, Iran's Revolutionary Guards helped to train al-Qaeda fighters, and the Iranians were suspected of helping al-Qaeda to carry out the truck bomb attacks against an American military base in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, in June 1996 that killed 19 American servicemen.
2006-11-15 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive