BICOM

The US administration has accused Iran of concluding a ‘secret deal’ with the al-Qaeda terrorist group to funnel money and insurgents into Afghanistan and Pakistan. The US Treasury Department named Ezedine Abdel Aziz Khalil, also known as Yasin al-Sura, an al-Qaeda official currently based in Iran, as responsible for moving al-Qaeda recruits and resources across the Middle East, into Iran and then on into Pakistan, in cooperation with the Iranian authorities. Four other al-Qaeda members – Umid Muhammadi, Salim Hasan Khalifa Rashid al-Kuwari, Abdallah Ghanim Mafuz Muslim al-Khawar, and Ali Hasan Ali al-Ajmi – were also named as taking part in the operation with Iran. The statement by the Treasury Department included the announcement of sanctions against these individuals. The statement also said that Iran had become a ‘critical transit point’ for al-Qaeda. Disagreements remain among experts, however, regarding the scope and depth of the relationship between al-Qaeda and Iran.