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To: Gib Bogle who wrote (104771)	9/2/2009 8:09:42 PM
From: Hawkmoon	1 Recommendation Respond to of 110194

I don't want to enter the quagmire of a debate about Afghanistan, which nobody really understands, Feel free to amplify on this discussion here: Subject 53478 But let me say this first. The greatest achievement of our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan was to demonstrate that Al Q'aida couldn't defend their "home turf". It's pretty difficult to convince supporters to strike the "infidel west" when the muslim world sees that they can't even defend what their existing "Caliphate" (the whole goal of Al Q'aida). It's humiliating for them and it's been reflected in the lack of support that used to exist for Al Q'aida after 9/11. Do you know that al Qaida and Iran are fierce enemies? Yeah.. heard that over and over again from analysts during my 2 years in Iraq. But they don't understand Machiavellian strategy, especially with regard to the "enemy of my enemy is my friend". There were numerous reports of Iranian support for Al Q'aida in Iraq during my time there, primarily the Quds force. It was to their advantage because Iran's overall strategy is to force the Iraqi Arab Shi'ite population to submit to their influence and give Iran control over the Shi'a holy sites in Iraq. Al-Sistani was instrumental in undermining this attempt and rendering Muqtada Al-Sadr impotent (he was heavily supported by an Iranian Grand Ayatollah, named Al-Haeri). As for Iran's support of overall Al Q'aida operations, there has been a long-standing linkage: meforum.org Scores of senior and mid-level al Qaeda operatives are known to be based out of Iran. Senior al Qaeda leaders known to be inside Iran include Said bin Laden, Osama bin Laden's son and potential successor; Hamza bin Laden; Saif al-Adel, al Qaeda's senior strategist who is said to be third in command of al Qaeda; Suleiman Abu Ghaith, the former spokesman for bin Laden; Abu Hafs, al Qaeda’s director of personnel; Sheikh Said al Masri, bin Laden’s chief financier; Mafouz Ould Walid; a senior aide to bin Laden and the leader of the Mauritanian Group for Preaching and Jihad; Thirwat Saleh Shihata; Ayman al Zawahiri’s deputy; and Abu Dahak, al Qaeda’s liaison to Chechen-based terrorists. Saif al Adel is said to have “struck up a close personal relationship with several prominent [Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps] commanders.” He personally ordered the bombing attack against US assets in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2003. Five Americans were killed in the attack. He has written numerous strategy documents from Iran, including a seven phase plan to conquer the world by 2020. longwarjournal.org Now.. Iran claimed that Saif Bin Laden was under house arrest in Iran, but somehow he managed to flee to Pakistan in 2008: nysun.com And, of course, there's Iran's demonstrated support for Hamas, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood that spawned Al Q'aida. Hawk