nuclear-news

Fears of al-Qa’ida finding refuge in a nuclearized Iran

al-Qa’ida may logically seek to achieve an untouchable strategic sanctuary within a nuclearized Iran.

Might al-Zawahiri’s al-Qa’ida come to view future nuclear power Iran as THE perfect sanctuary?, TIME,  by Thomas P. M. Barnett , August 1, 2011 As al-Qa’ida leaders the world over signal their intent to stay the course — challenging assumptions that the integrity of their network has been perhaps irreversibly jeopardized by the death of bin Laden — national security managers must remain focused on denying its core leaders a safe base of operations.

Meanwhile, due to growing ties between al-Qa’ida’s regional network and defense officials in Iran, the strategic dimension of the West’s counter-terrorism efforts is likely to grow significantly in the years ahead. Unless Washington is prepared to confront Iran directly on this issue, al-Qa’ida may logically seek to achieve an untouchable strategic sanctuary within a nuclearized Iran.

In a late July audio statement disseminated through the Internet, Amir Abu-Basir Nasir al-Wuhayshi, senior leader of al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), swore allegiance to Core al-Qa’ida’s new leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri. This declaration of fealty arrived as many terrorism experts in the West cast doubts on the leadership capabilities of al-Qa’ida HQ, and speculation mounted about an impending collapse of the core group tasked with advancing the global jihad launched by now deceased Osama bin Laden…….

Western counter-terrorism officials should keep their sights focused on opportunities to deny al-Qa’ida’s leadership a base of operations versus tailoring counter-terrorism strategies around hopes that bin Laden’s death will cause al-Qa’ida to splinter, dissolve, and the jihadi threat will thus disappear. While al-Qa’ida’s future may be more uncertain than ever before, one thing seems clear enough: Ayman al-Zawahiri and other Core al-Qa’ida officials require a new and safer base from which to manage the organization’s affairs — a space the U.S. has found it difficult to penetrate.

Iran could very likely become this base.

For nearly two decades, top Iranian officials, including Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi and various generals from within the ranks of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, have lent support to al-Zawahiri, his family, and his associates…..

http://battleland.blogs.time.com/2011/08/01/might-al-zawahiris-al-qaida-come-to-view-future-nuclear-power-iran-as-the-perfect-sanctuary/

August 2, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, safety