Valin Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 Weekly Standard Blog: THOMAS JOSCELYN7/30/11In a stunning development on Thursday, the U.S. Treasury Department accused the Iranian government of sponsoring al Qaeda. Treasury designated six al Qaeda terrorists and reported that they are working for a network headquartered in Iran. This al Qaeda network is “headed by Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil, a prominent Iran-based al Qaeda facilitator, operating under an agreement between al Qaeda and the Iranian government.”A Treasury Department press release quoted Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen as saying: "Iran is the leading state sponsor of terrorism in the world today. By exposing Iran’s secret deal with al Qaeda allowing it to funnel funds and operatives through its territory, we are illuminating yet another aspect of Iran’s unmatched support for terrorism. Today’s action also seeks to disrupt this key network and deny al Qaeda’s senior leadership much-needed support."This is not the first time the Treasury Department has designated al Qaeda operatives operating in Iran. In January 2009, treasury designated four al Qaeda terrorists, including one of Osama bin Laden’s sons, who were living in Iran. Thursday’s designation, however, explicitly accuses the Iranian government of having an “agreement” with al Qaeda that allows terrorists to use Iranian soil to move money and recruits into Afghanistan and Pakistan.(Snip)NY TimesWSJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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