US Minister To Prepare Evidence To Accuse Iran Of Conspiracy With Al Qaeda

US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - United States Secretary of State (US) Mike Pompeo wants to deploy a new US Intelligence to prepare open accusations about Iran being linked to Al Qaeda. The move is part of Pompeo's late assault on Iran, before US President-elect Joe Biden is officially sworn in.

For the remaining eight days of US President Donald Trump's tenure, Pompeo is expected to offer details on allegations that Iran is providing a safe haven for Al Qaeda leaders and support for the group. However, there was some skepticism in the intelligence community and Congress.

According to a Reuters report Tuesday, January 12, 2021, it is unclear how much more Pompeo wants to reveal in his speech at the National Press Club in Washington DC. He could have cited undisclosed information about the killing of al Qaeda's second man in Tehran in August, said a source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile The New York Times reported in November 2020 that Abu Muhammad al Masri, accused of helping orchestrate the 1998 bombings of two US embassies in Africa, was shot dead by Israeli operations in Iran. Iran denies the report, saying there are no al Qaeda "terrorists" on its territory.

Iran has been a target throughout the Trump administration and Pompeo has sought to further increase pressure on Iran. The effort has increased in recent weeks with more sanctions and heated rhetoric.

President-elect Joe Biden's adviser believes the Trump administration is trying to make it harder for Biden to re-engage with Iran. Joe Biden himself promised to rejoin international agreements on Iran's nuclear program.

Pompeo has accused Iran of having ties to Al Qaeda in the past, but has not provided concrete evidence. He has accused this since 2017.

Similar to Bush

Similar accusations were made during the George W. Bush regime. At that time the Bush administration said there was an Iranian connection to the Al Qaeda attacks on September 11, 2001 in the US, which was discredited. But reports have emerged over the years about Al Qaeda operatives lurking in Iran.

A former senior US intelligence official with first-hand knowledge of the matter said Iran was never friendly with Al Qaeda, even before or after the September 11 attacks. Collaborative claims like these should be viewed with caution.

Relations between Iran and the US have deteriorated since 2018 when Trump left the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Trump vowed to lift tough sanctions on Iran if it renounces its nuclear activities.

Since the beginning of his administration, Trump has imposed sanctions on Iranian officials, politicians and companies. It is an attempt to force Iran to negotiate a broader agreement that further limits its nuclear activities. More sanctions are expected to be launched before Trump leaves office.

Meanwhile the sanctions have sharply lowered Iran's oil exports. This led to increasing economic difficulties for ordinary Iranians and the sanctions failed to bring Iran back to the negotiating table.