1016: Pompeo says Iran and Al Qaeda are partners. @thomasjoscelyn, @billroggio
Image: Shiraz, from Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, etc. Tom Joscelyn, @thomasjoscelyn, Long War Journal and FDD; and Bill Roggio, @billroggio, Long War Journal and FDD; in re: Secretary Pompeo: Iran. Trump put great pressure on Iran with sanctions; Mr Biden has said he’ll reverse that. Generation Jihad: Al Qaeda in Iran, the major base of operation for al Q. Pompeo spoke up plainly; one might wonder why he did so this late in the game. The facts are: we can identify senior al Q persons in Iran, esp al Mahgrebi, a Moroccan, “a rising star.” He’s the organization’s general manager, a sort of traffic cop; very important. Press coverage is scant [and inadequate]. The reason al Q left Afghanistan was because of he intense US pressure after October 2001; it became uncomfortable, so they moved to Pakistan and Iran. If the US leaves Afghanistan, al Qaeda is likely to move back in. https://www.state.gov/the-iran-al-qaida-axis/ https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2021/01/ep-40-al-qaeda-in-iran-and-afghanistan.php