Iraq has no proof to link Iran with Qaeda: Official

[ECH1969]

A top Iraqi official has said Baghdad has no evidence to link Iran with aiding the Al-Qaeda operations in his country though Tehran may be assisting extremist groups to fuel problems there.

"We don't have solid evidence that Iran is helping Al-Qaeda in Iraq. They are helping the Al-Mahdi. They are helping some of the extremist Shia groups in Iraq. But there is no evidence that Iran is helping Al-Qaeda or helping the insurgents in Iraq," Iraq's National Security Advisor Mowaffak al Rubaie said.

"There is a missing piece of information on that report, which is the fund from some of the Arab states around Iraq. Those countries are afraid of our democracy.

"They are the Islamic movements in these countries, helping the insurgency to bring down the democracy in Iraq and tries to defeat the United States government -- or United States Army in Iraq," he said.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1853704,00050001.htm

[BeyondThePale]

1. Why would Shia Iran aid AQ?

Am I missing something?

[CJCRANE]

2. No.

You're not missing anything.

It's just another day in Bizarro World.

[uppityperson]

3. Good, rant to follow

I really hate it when media refers to a city as an acting entity. "Tehran may be assisting extremist groups" for example. How can a city do this? I thought a city was the area and building and the people were residents, or perhaps Iranians, and the gvt was the gvt not the city. Bugs me when the USA gvt/bush administration is refered to as "Washington" also (as in Washington did such and so). Why not say "the ayatolla or the government or some such? End of rant.

[justinaforjustice]

4. Iran is Solidly Anti-Al- Qaeda

Iran is a theocratic Shi'ite Muslim country. Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda are Sunni and violently anti-Shi'ite. Iran is doubtedly helping some Shi'ite groups in Iraq, but the Sunni Al-Qaeda is not one of them. Iran made repeatedly offers to the U.S. to help them capture Al-Qaeda fighters, and was strongly opposed to the Taliban forces in Afghanistan.

[Supersedeas]

5. ohhhh, somebody is about the get Cheneyed