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Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri The Coordinator 2015 Part 4-1-Yemen-7Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is the early winner in Yemen. -- Bruce Riedel
US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned Iran over its alleged support for Houthi rebels in Yemen. 9 April, Saudi-led air strikes against Houthi fighters in Yemen have continued for the 14th day, with intense fighting occurring in the southern city of Aden, where rockets have reportedly landed on houses.. The fighting in Aden pits Houthi forces and their allies against local armed groups loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies accuse Iran of arming the Houthi fighters but Iran denies the allegations.
C: Looking in the mirror of history it’s a contradiction that fails to address their own past deeds: April 2015, US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned Iran over its alleged support for Houthi rebels in Yemen. He said the US would support any state in the Middle East that felt threatened by Iran, and would not "stand by" if Iran destabilised the region. The mirror; Operation Cyclone was the code name for the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) program to arm and finance – with Saudi Arabia in a Dollar for a dollar - the Afghan mujahideen prior to and during the Soviet war in Afghanistan, from 1979 to 1989, just to mention one…Blaming Iran for sending ships so what about, Egypt’s minister of foreign affairs, Sameh Shoukri, said in a speech to Arab foreign ministers that his country was willing “to send ground forces if necessary” to back the anti-Houthi fight. Four Egyptian naval vessels were dispatched for Yemen, where they were expected to arrive late March, according to official news media.. Moreover is there a UNSCR ruling that allows the current Arab coalition to do what it does: Operation Decisive Storm? A repeat of a president set in the past by those who are pointing fingers now. The Unanimously adopting resolution 2140 (2014) under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the Council encouraged all the country’s constituencies, including youth and women’s groups, to continue their active and constructive engagement in Yemen’s political transition. Further by the text, the Council condemned the growing number of attacks carried out or sponsored by Al-Qaida in the Arabian peninsula, expressing its determination to address that threat in accordance with the Charter and international law. It called for national efforts to address the threat posed by explosives as well as small arms and light weapons to Yemen’s stability and security. Not a word of an intervention force in UNSCR 2140 Feb 2015 -1 -. A dangerous trend of unapproved interventions is seen. In the meantime, Shi’ite Iran which has been accused of backing the Houthi rebels who are also Muslim Shi’ites, has called for dialogue warning that Daesh known in the West as ISIL is benefiting from the turmoil. “ The problem is the need for the Yemenis to be helped in order to talk to each other, to finish this fighting and also to be mindful of the fact that al Qaeda and Daesh are waiting. Not waiting but actually fighting in order to seize control and that has in fact seized control of party of Yemen,” said Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Havad Zarif. However the UAE’s foreign minister, Abdullah Bin Zayed accused Iran of meddling in the conflict. I hope this conflict will not be mistaken as a sectarian conflict. It is not about sectarianism, it is about Iranians believing in the idea of exporting their revolution, it is part of their constitution and their system,” said the UAE minister. C; What is more and proven once again we fail to have an agreed comprehensive strategy addressing the problems at hand, blaming Iran of all has so far resulted that Al-Qaeda in the
1 http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/un-documents/yemen/
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Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is the early winner in Yemen. 2 - 3. And what about the 3rd order effects?
9 April, Houthi fighters, backed by supporters of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, have entered the provincial capital of the Shabwa province in eastern Yemen, despite intense Saudi-led air strikes against the group. Residents said local tribal chiefs and security officials facilitated the entry of the Houthi forces to the city of Ataq on Thursday, where they took control of the offices of the local government and security forces compounds. It was the first time that the Houthis and their allies had entered the city, bringing them closer to the country's most prized economic asset, the Belhaf natural gas facility and export terminal, on the Arabian Sea about 160 km to the southeast. Earlier in the day, residents of al-Siddah district in central Yemen said they woke to find al-Qaeda flags flying over local government offices, Reuters news agency reported. They said a group of al-Qaeda gunmen led by a local commander known as Ma'mour al-Hakem, took over the district at night. Residents said the Houthis, who had been in control of the town for more than two months, retreated without a fight. Also, Iran's supreme leader has condemned the military intervention in Yemen by his country's main regional rival, Saudi Arabia, describing it as "genocide". Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Riyadh that it would "not emerge victorious". "The aggression by Saudi Arabia against Yemen and its innocent people was a mistake... It has set a bad precedent in the region," he said in a televised speech. "This is a crime and genocide that can be prosecuted in international courts," he added. "Riyadh will not emerge victorious in its aggression."
The coalition has so far failed to halt the advance into Aden by the Houthis and allied military units loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Houthi fighters and allied soldiers meanwhile entered Ataq, the provincial capital of the mainly Sunni province of Shabwa after days of clashes with Sunni tribesmen. "Ataq is like a military barracks. A tank here, an armoured vehicle there and non-stop patrols," resident Saleh al-Awlaki told the Associated Press. The rebels say their push into southern and eastern areas of Yemen is to combat militants from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). – C: The failure, if we are to utilize the term, is of course, not just American, but involve most of US allies, who have ignored Yemen’s protracted misery – poverty, corruption, violence and the lack of any political horizon, until the country finally imploded. When the Houthis took over Sanaa last September, a foolish act by any account, only then did the situation in Yemen became urgent enough for intervention
9 April, A former Al-Qaeda member has revealed a strong connection between the terrorist group and the Saudi Royal family in the 1990s. More notably, he alleges that Saudi princes and terrorists discussed a plan to shoot Air Force One out of the sky. The revelations came in the form of a testimony, delivered from a maximum-security prison, where Zacarias Moussaoui is incarcerated. According to the New York Times, Moussaoui submitted the claim on his own initiative. He sent a letter to the judge presiding over the lawsuit filed by family members of 9/11 victims against the government of Saudi Arabia. And so, for two days last October, lawyers were permitted for the first time to interview the terrorist at the federal prison – the most secure facility in the federal system, in Florence,
2 Egyptian TV Host Ibrahim Issa: Don't Expect Saudi Arabia to Combat the Ideologies of Darkness http://www.memri.org/clip/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/4861.htm
3 British MP Galloway Slams Anti-Houthi Campaign on Iran TV: The Saudis Are Treacherous Snakes http://www.memri.org/clip/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/4857.htm
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Colorado. He gave a damning report that included very prominent members within the royal family, including three princes he says were all Al-Qaeda donors. The testimony was finalized on Monday. The meeting discussing the plan to down Air Force One allegedly took place at the kingdom’s embassy in Washington DC.
This and other meetings allegedly involved some of Saudi Arabia’s top princes and billionaires, including then-Prince Salman – brother to the late King Abdullah and now the King of Saudi Arabia. If Moussaoui’s testimony holds up, the view of Saudi involvement in attacking the United States and its alleged double-dealings could be changed profoundly. Apparently from 1998 to 1999, Moussaoui was tasked by the Afghan terrorist branch with creating a digital database of Al-Qaeda donors, including Prince Turki al-Faisal, the former chief of Saudi intelligence, as well as others, mostly billionaire businessmen and leading clerics. “Sheikh Osama wanted to keep a record” of the money flow, Moussaoui’s testimony says, adding that he acted as courier for Bin Laden himself. But what would surely be a major blow for the US, Moussaoui also revealed plans to down the president’s Air Force One airplane with a Stinger missile. This was apparently discussed with the Islamic Affairs Department of the Saudi embassy. “I was supposed to go to Washington and go with [a visiting Saudi official]… in order to find a location where it would be suitable to launch a Stinger attack and then, after, be able to escape,” Moussaoui went on. His arrest allegedly came on the eve of that scouting trip. According to NY Times, on the same day, the Saudi embassy referred to how the September 11 commission flatly rejected the possibility of such a relationship, pointing to how “Moussaoui is a deranged criminal whose own lawyers presented evidence that he was mentally incompetent.” They were alluding to his earlier mental diagnosis. “My impression was that he was of completely sound mind — focused and thoughtful,” said a Philadelphia lawyer questioning him. It should be noted that allegations of ties between top Saudi businessmen, the political elite and Al-Qaeda are nothing new. They
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have been substantiated by evidence in the past. Bin Laden himself was the son of a Saudi construction magnate, and the money trail existed before the 2001 attacks. At the same time, it’s also known that the Saudi family had collaborated with the US as well to finance Islamic militants, many of whom ended up in what would later become Al-Qaeda. This was during the Soviet campaign in Afghanistan in the 1980s.
Dead or alive: Al-Qaeda in Yemen offers 20kg gold for Houthi leader, ex-presidentPublished time: April 08, 2015 A bounty of 20 kilograms of gold has been promised by Al-Qaeda for the capture or killing of the leader of Yemen’s Houthi rebels and his closest ally, ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, SITE monitoring group said. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) announced the bounty in a video released through its media arm on Wednesday. The Shiite Muslim Houthi rebels, who took control of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and are now on the offensive in the southern part of the country, are led by Abdel-Malek al-Houthi. Al-Houthi, known to be an efficient battlefield commander, established himself as a revolutionary leader, following mass protests in Yemen 2011. There’s little information about the rebel strong man, reportedly in his early 30s, as he tries to keep a low profile, rarely appearing in public or talking to the press. Being a radical Sunni Islamist movement, Al-Qaeda views the Houthis and Saleh, representing the Shiite Zaydi minority in Yemen, as heretics. Al-Qaeda’s Yemeni wing has bolstered its activities in the country in recent weeks as the group assaulted the town of Mukalla in early April and freed prominent local terrorist leader, Khaled Batarfi.
Iran sends navy vessels near Yemen amid airstrikes: report By Ahmed Al-Haj and Brian Rohan - Associated Press - Wednesday, April 8, 2015 SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Iran dispatched a naval destroyer and another vessel Wednesday to waters near Yemen as the United States quickened weapons supply to the Saudi-led coalition striking rebels there, underlining how foreign powers are deepening their involvement in the conflict. Iran’s English-language state broadcaster Press TV quoted Rear Adm. Habibollah Sayyari as saying the ships would be part of an anti-piracy campaign “safeguarding naval routes for vessels in the region.” The maneuver comes amid an intense Saudi-led Gulf Arab air campaign targeting the Yemeni rebels, known as Houthi, who come from a Shiite sect. Critics say Shiite power Iran backs the Houthis, though both the Islamic Republic and the rebels deny any direct military assistance. Speaking a day earlier in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken blamed the violence in Yemen on the Houthis, and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, saying that the U.S. is committed to defending Saudi Arabia. “We have expedited weapons deliveries, we have increased our intelligence sharing, and we have established a joint coordination and planning cell in the Saudi operations center,” he said in a statement to reporters after meeting with Saudi royals and Yemen’s President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who fled his country amid rebel advances. Intelligence sharing includes making available raw aerial imagery the coalition could use to better strike anti-Hadi forces, said a U.S. defense official who was not authorized to comment publicly. Blinken said the U.S. and the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council must coordinate closely and press all parties to seek a political solution. The Gulf Arab-backed air campaign supporting Hadi, which began on March 26, has so far failed to stop the Houthis’ advance on Aden, Yemen’s second-largest city, which was declared the provisional capital by Hadi before he fled. The U.S. says that the chaos has allowed the local al-Qaida branch, which it considers the world’s most dangerous wing of the group, to make “great gains” on the ground, causing Washington to rethink how it prevents it from launching attacks in the West. Speaking from Tokyo, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the collapse of the central government in Yemen makes it harder to conduct counterterrorism operations
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against al Qaeda, which has ambitions to strike Western targets, including the United States. Regarding the weapons deliveries, he said it involved “some resupply of equipment and munitions” to Saudi Arabia..
C: To the: The Gulf Arab-backed air campaign supporting Hadi, which began on March 26, has so far failed to stop the Houthis’ advance on Aden, Yemen’s second-largest city, which was declared the provisional capital by Hadi before he fled. The U.S. says that the chaos has allowed the local al-Qaida branch, which it considers the world’s most dangerous wing of the group, to make “great gains” on the ground, causing Washington to rethink how it prevents it from launching attacks in the West. C: AQAP exploiting the chaos, and seen as an early winner should not come as a surprise, they just use the fog of war moment and exploit the void. As the Shia Houthies and apparently backed by Shia Iran are attempting to take Yemen 2nd largest city Aden – ground - even if successfully the conducted will be a hard nut to crack, taking, a city is one but holding and sustain – and being responsible for - is another as late AQ leader Bin Laden foresaw. Accordingly some time ago he advised in regards to taking cities to his regional leader: Nasir al-Wuhayshi, amir of Al-Qaeda in Yemen to not to take control of Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. His argument was that the Jihadist movements are not ready to take over the responsibilities of governance in the modern states. In his message to Al-Wuhaysi, he literally said: "The nature of states has changed." He said: "Establishing states before the elements of success have been completed will often thwart the efforts of jihad." The most important element of success for the states is military, economic, and political immunity. The mujahideen cannot achieve this on their own. It requires the participation of the rest of the Islamist movements and political trends that join together under an agreed upon sharia-based platform, which provides a flexible political ground that eliminates the possibility of infighting, and protects against external intervention, and collision with the West. This is the test that the jihadists have failed to pass because of their narrow sharia-political perspective, he said.
So regarding Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula that took control of Mukallah, the capital of Yemen’s eastern province of Hadramout, they understand that positioning in a fixed base – like a city - gives the West and other Alliances a chance to hit effectively, so is there presence at the helm gives a chance to thwart through its tools. However the current focus on Houthies and purportedly Iran’s support blurs the picture and give AQAP advantage - Hadramout is the ancestral home of Osama bin Laden, and the province has become an AQAP bastion – safe place -over the past several years. The jihadist group regrouped in Hadramout and other provinces after losing control of major cities in Abyan and Shabwa provinces to government forces starting in late spring 2012. In May 2013, the Yemeni government claimed it foiled a plot by AQAP to establish an Islamic emirate in the Ghayl Bawazir area of the province.
Strategic thinkers, advisers to the AQ course say: For as the military calculations have led us to realize that open confrontation with a military superior rival like America, or other alliances is a military suicide, and the guerrilla warfare is the appropriate response to
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create a state of balance in the balance of deterrence between us; so are the political calculations lead us to the same conclusion that an open political confrontation--declaration of state --with the West, is a political suicide. This is so because the West, given its dominance over the world order, can thwart, weaken, or contain any success for us in the area of governance – as the self declared state of Daesh/ISIS is encountering today - . The West will push for a situation where diseases, unrests, poverty, and public discontent become prevalent till an atmosphere is created where it can uproot us militarily, just as they did in Afghanistan and Iraq. Therefore, by applying the same logic that led us to adopt the strategy of military guerrilla warfare, we must adopt a political guerrilla warfare that will enable us to survive politically in the face of the world order. – C: The current western focus to blame all on Iran blurs the eye to the complexity and agendas of all players involved, be Shia-Sunni, AQ and Houthi, regional and global players -. The West has been used to a type of jihadist groups that always jump in the scene in the chaotic regions to display their control. The West then would leave them alone for a while before creating a situation of internal unrests, disorders, and siege so that the people will have enough of these groups especially with their sense of exclusion. Then, the light will be shed on the practices of these groups in regard to implementation of Islamic punishments. These groups make sure that these practices are disseminated through the media without justifications, and before the end of the war, and before any permanent empowerment. The West will then spread these practices to prove that the civilians are subjected to brutal terrorism. The local and international public opinion thus will be set to accept military intervention; C: with or without UN approval - . The West then will use the tools of the world order to condemn the crimes of those jihadist groups through the UN and subsequently place these groups on the terrorism list. After that, the assets of all those who provide financial support to these groups will be frozen, and they will be legally persecuted, and the noose will be tighten on them in their own countries. Then, the West will seek a resolution from the Security Council to launch a military offensive –C: the current Arab coalition has non - to uproot them, and form an alliance for this purpose and agenda’s.
April 8, 2015 Special Dispatch No.6016 Pakistani Urdu Daily: 'By Offering The Enticement Of A Nuclear Pact To Iran, Which Is Supporting The Houthi Rebels,' America And Its Allies Are 'Following A Policy Of Weakening The Muslim World'
Screen shot of Roznama Ummat editorialIn an April 4, 2015 editorial titled "Support of the Great Satan Is Not Without a Cause," Pakistan’s leading Urdu-language daily, Roznama Ummat, stated that the U.S. and its allies are following a policy of weakening the Islamic world by enticing Iran to agree a nuclear deal. The phrase "Great Satan," referring to the U.S., was instituted by the founder of Iran's Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Roznama Ummat is a staunch supporter of Islamist political parties such as the Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan.The editorial notes that the "most painful aspect" of U.S. policy is that it does not object to Israel's nuclear arsenal. Underlining this double standard, it notes that when India conducted its first nuclear test in 1974, the "anti-Muslim powers remained silent," but when Pakistan decided to conduct nuclear tests in 1998, it was threatened with being pushed back to the Stone Age. Roznama Ummat's claim notwithstanding, it should be noted
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that as following its nuclear testing, India was indeed subjected to with U.S. sanctions, lasting several decades.Following are excerpts from the Roznama Ummat editorial:"Iran Will Not Be Allowed To Build Any Nuclear Facility For 15 Years; In Lieu Of The Proposed Agreement, America Has Announced To End Sanctions On Iran In Stages""After long negotiations in Lausanne, Switzerland, Iran has agreed to a framework for the future of its nuclear program with the six great powers. This agreement has come about after 12 years of struggle. America, Iran and Germany have said that the recent unanimity of views has been reached after eight days of discussions, whereas the composite nuclear agreement would be formulated by June 30 [2015]. "Soon after the agreement between Iran and the six great powers, American President Barack Obama welcomed it, and termed it the best solution for the issue. Also Iranian President Hassan Rohani welcomed it and described the agreement as in the best interests of Iran. "American President Barack Obama, in his address, said: 'The one option with us [the Western powers] was to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities, but in the current situation, we could not afford to start a new war in the Middle East. After formulation of the nuclear agreement with Iran, we will start strict monitoring on the implementation of the agreement. If Iran violated the agreement, the world would know its consequences.'"According to the agreed framework, Iran's nuclear program would be limited; it would not be able to make a plutonium bomb; and apart from reducing enriched uranium, it would bring down the number of centrifuges from 19,000 to 6,000. Iran would not be allowed to build any nuclear facility for 15 years. In lieu of the proposed agreement, America has announced to end sanctions on Iran in stages. But it has also threatened that if it [Iran] committed any violation, all sanctions would be re-imposed. ""This Small Country [Israel] Was Only Allowed To Acquire Nuclear Capability Because It Is America's Parasite And Adopted [Child]"; "After Israel, India Decided To Become A Nuclear Power And Conducted A Nuclear Explosion In 1974, But Anti-Muslim Powers Remained Silent""Acquisition of nuclear power is right of every country, provided it is used for its defense and to meet energy requirements. The Western powers have established hegemony over [nuclear power]. And the most painful aspect of it is that the biggest enemy of Muslims, Israel, is equipped with countless nuclear weapons. This small country was only allowed to acquire nuclear capability because it is America's parasite and adopted [child]. Israel not only supported the Muslim-killing policies of America and non-Islamic countries, but has also, in addition to occupying Muslim lands including Baitul Muqaddis [Jerusalem] in Palestine, engaged in killing Muslims."After Israel, India decided to become a nuclear power and it conducted a nuclear explosion in 1974, but anti-Muslim powers remained silent. In contrast, when Pakistan decided to respond to India's five nuclear explosions in 1998, it received dire threats and was told that if it attempted [a nuclear test], it would be pushed back to the Stone Age through destroying it economically. "However, when the Nawaz government of that time, and the [Pakistani] military leadership, established [Pakistan's] superiority over India by conducting six [tit-for-tat] nuclear explosions on May 28, 1998, ignoring the threats by the U.S. and the Western powers, the bubble of Western countries' threats [against Pakistan] burst within just a few days. After Pakistan, when Iran showed its intent to acquire nuclear power for meeting its energy requirements, sanctions were imposed on it one after the other.""In View Of The Long History Of American Conspiracies, There Is A Need For Maintaining The Unity Of The Muslim Ummah; The Iranian Nation May Remember This Saying Of Ayatollah Khomeini: For Muslims, America Is The Great Satan And Russia Is The Little Satan"
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"The timing of the consensus on the agreement between Iran and six countries – America, Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany – needs special attention. To defeat Houthi rebels in Yemen, most Muslim countries have united under the leadership of Saudi Arabia. Pakistan and Turkey have offered every possible help to the Saudi state for protecting its integrity and security. Non-Arab Muslim countries are of the view that because of Houthi tribes and their backer country [Iran], not only the Saudi state but the Muslim Holy Cities [of Mecca and Medina] are also facing a serious threat. "[Furthermore,] many Muslim countries – including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey – do not have pleasant relations with the U.S. as they once did. Meanwhile, because of the Houthis' rebellion and the destruction and bloodshed in Yemen, and in reaction to that, lives and property of Muslims from both sides are being destroyed. By offering the enticement of a nuclear pact to Iran, which is supporting the Houthi rebels, America and its allied countries are following a policy of weakening the Muslim world by creating hostility between Arabs and non-Arabs, between Shi'as and Sunnis. "Iran's one senior diplomat Sadiq Kharrazi has revealed that Iranian [IRGC Qods Force] general Qasim Solemani is there [in Yemen] to lead Yemen's Houthi rebels. The BBC has also given this news before. Regardless of whether this news is confirmed or denied, the Muslim countries need to understand that America and its Western allies' rising up in support of Iran's nuclear program at this time is not without a cause. "In view of the long history of American conspiracies, it is necessary to maintain the unity of the Muslim Ummah. The Iranian nation may remember this saying of Ayatollah Khomeini: For Muslims, America is the Great Satan, and Russia is the Little Satan. "America's friendship with Muslims cannot be expected. Although today it is forced to support Iran, it can, in keeping with its tradition and custom, betray it [Iran] tomorrow." Source: Roznama Ummat, Pakistan, April 4, 2015.
April 8, 2015 Special Dispatch No.6017 Lebanese Shi'ite Cleric: Arabs Must Unite Against Iran's Expansion Into The Arab Countries – Which Has America's Blessing Shi'ite Lebanese cleric Muhammad Ali Al-Husseini, who heads the Arab Islamic Council in Lebanon and is known for his opposition to Hizbullah, told the Iraqi daily Al-Zaman on March 10, 2015 that Iran is striving to take over Arab countries and destabilize them by recruiting local elements. He warned that Iran would continue to eat away at the Arab countries unless the Arabs unite and oppose it. He said that Iran, with the Americans' blessing, has become the patron of Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq, and that the imminent U.S.-Iran nuclear deal will be at the expense of Arab countries. Al-Husseini also argued that extremism in the Sunni world was a response to Iran’s and Hizbullah's Shi'ite extremism, and that Iran was a source of global terrorism; he added that it is escalating Hizbullah-Israel tensions so that it can both raise oil prices to ease its economic distress and speed up the nuclear negotiations. The following are excerpts from the interview:
Muhammad Ali Al-Husseini (image: Al-Zaman, Iraq, March 10, 2015) Iran Is Behind Hizbullah's Escalation Of Its Activity Against Israel"Q: Recently, we have witnessed the expansion of Hizbullah, Iran's protégé, in Syria and Iraq. Is this part of an Iranian plan to establish a regional empire?""A: The plan of Iran's rule of the jurisprudent to expand to our Arab countries is nothing new. It originates with [Ayatollah Ruhollah] Khomeini's takeover of the Iranian regime and the so-called plan to export the [Islamic] Revolution to the world. This is under the banner of supporting the weak and defending Palestine, and on the false claim that the rule of the jurisprudent is the mother of mercy for oppressed Shi'ites in their countries, as well as the haven for Sunnis who are persecuted in their homelands. I can mention, for example, the
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naming of a street in Tehran after [Egyptian president Anwar Sadat's assassin] Khalid Al-Islambouli; [Iran's] support for Sunni Islamists in Algeria and Egypt, and allowing Al-Qaeda leaders and bin Laden's family into Tehran after they fled Afghanistan."Using this stratagem, the Iranian regime has managed to infiltrate Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and other lands, in order to realize its ambitious plan to take over our Arab countries. This followed its recruitment of [local] agents in these countries to actualize its grand political plan – that is, to eat away at Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. "The [Iranian] regime will continue doing this unless we stand up to it and oppose it. This is the responsibility of us all...”"Q: What are the causes of the recent escalation between Hizbullah and Israel?"A: Everyone knows that before [Israel] withdrew from South Lebanon [in 2000], it had an understanding with Hizbullah... which was violated in the June 2006 war and was subsequently changed. In this context, at the start of the Syrian crisis and Hizbullah's direct involvement in it, which made Israel touchy, fundamental principles were set, with two clauses: no weapons transfers from Syria to Hizbullah in Lebanon, and no Hizbullah presence near the [Israeli] border. "When the [first] clause was violated, Israel bombed weapons deliveries [to Hizbullah via Syria], and when the second clause was violated and Hizbullah approached the border near Quneitra, it bombed them [too]. Things then escalated following Hizbullah's retaliation, which came from South Lebanon as opposed to Quneitra, and matters ended at that. "This was the visible part of the escalation, but the secret part, and the truth, is that [Iran's] rule of the jurisprudent suffers from two things: difficulties in the nuclear [negotiations], and increasing economic pressure due to the drop in oil prices. In my opinion, the second problem is more significant, since it has damaged [Iran's] economic depth and threatens the Iranian regime from within. In light of this, ending this crisis involves reviving the Israeli front, [which] necessarily raises oil prices [and also] speeds up the nuclear negotiations in favor of the [Iranian] regime – that is, two birds with one stone... "However, the results on the ground after Israel bombed the convoy of IRGC and Hizbullah commanders were not what [Iran and Hizbullah] had thought they would be. Additionally, they received a stern message that any further escalation would trigger a direct Israeli incursion into Damascus.""Q: In light of the possibility that Hizbullah would involve Lebanon in a war against Israel, which would threaten [Lebanon's] security as well as the security of the region, what can Lebanese political forces do to oppose this Hizbullah plans that could harm Lebanon?"A: We in Lebanon object to decisions of war and peace being in the hands of any group or party, specifically Hizbullah, whose decisions and actions are dictated by Iran's rule of the jurisprudent. We have repeatedly demanded that [such] decisions of war and peace be placed exclusively in the hands of the Lebanese state. However, Hizbullah's control of Lebanon, as well as its tyranny against the Lebanese state and people aided by Iranian funds and weapons, have eliminated our ability, and the ability of UNIFIL forces in South Lebanon, to deter it from military action."In Order To Deal With Terrorist Organizations We Must Cut Off The Serpent's Head – That Is, The Rule Of The Jurisprudent"Q: Do you believe that extremist organizations entered Lebanon in response to Hizbullah's involvement in the Syrian crisis?"A: Yes, definitely. Hizbullah, and its backer, the Iranian rule of the jurisprudent, are directly responsible for the spread of violence and extremism, not just in Lebanon but also in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. This is because extremism and violence beget extremism and violence. Hizbullah is now reaping [the fruits] of the extremist groups that it sowed, raised, nurtured,
Cees Page 9 of 11 09/04/2015
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and even trained in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen. This is exactly what the rule of the jurisprudent wants; it cannot live in our Arab countries other than by creating crises in them...""Q: In your opinion, what are the reasons for increasing tension among different schools and sects in the Arab world in recent years?"A: I do not deny that there are ancient ideological and religious differences between schools and sects. But in themselves, they are not enough to cause extremism, accusations of apostasy, and sharp divides. Therefore, unfortunately, I believe that what is happening today in the Arab world is nothing but an artificial clamour with political purpose. Clamour that ostensibly [seems] religious, but is actually political... Politics tarnishes everything it touches. That is why I think the supreme Islamic interest is to reactivate Al-Azhar's initiative to bring schools of thought closer together...""Q: In your opinion, what are the reasons for the spread of extremist organizations such as ISIS in recent years, and how can we deal with this phenomenon?"A: There are several reasons. The main reason is Iran's rule of the jurisprudent, which lies in wait for the security of us Arabs, creating fitna and inciting violence... [This regime] is the source of global terrorism, and works day and night to establish extremist jihad groups and movements that serve its interests and prepare the ground for its plan. "The Iranian regime cannot interfere in any Arab country so long as [the Arab country] is steadfast and stable. Just as a microbe cannot live in a sterile environment, and instead thrives in filth, Iran's rule of the jurisprudent is attempting to attract [jihadi] groups, whether Sunni, Shi'ite, Arab or foreign. It supports them, helps them, and generously provides them with everything they need, and later uses them as a means to achieve its ends... "In my opinion, in order to deal with these groups we must cut off the serpent's head – that is, the rule of the jurisprudent – as opposed to its tail. This is because if we do not cut off its head, it will remain alive, and continue to pose the same danger by giving rise to more terrorism. "The best defense is a good offense, and therefore we must coordinate and cooperate on this matter with the National Council of Resistance of Iran,[1] since it is the element... that is capable of cutting off the head of the fitna, and knows better than anyone how to do so. We cannot coexist with the rule of the jurisprudent in any way...""Q: Do you think that the increasing U.S.-Iran closeness on the nuclear issue could come at the expense of the Arab region?"A: Yes, of course. Ever since the Iranian regime usurped the Iranian people's [1979] revolution, it has raised the banner of the slogan of the U.S. as the Great Satan. Furthermore, it has executed Iranians on charges of contacts or ties with it. Yet suddenly we see it sitting beside the American administration, tossing aside its false morals. "The Iranian regime is cheating. It is trying to actualize its dangerous political plan at any cost. It is prepared to scheme against the Arabs not only together with the U.S., but together with Israel as well, and it has done this before. "[Iran's] entry into Afghanistan was with the cooperation and coordination of the U.S., as was its entry into Iraq... Now, we see [the U.S. and Iran] becoming closer, on the pretext of combatting terrorism. Iran has seized Lebanon and has become its patron with the consent of the Americans; the same is true for Syria and Iraq. The Iranians are in Sana'a with America's blessing, and the rule of the jurisprudent is going to continue infiltrating, and eating away at, our Arab countries – unless we unite and stand against it. "This is what we are doing in the Arab Islamic Council. We are exposing the plots of the rule of the jurisprudent, thwarting its plans, and resisting them ideologically and politically. We are prepared, and we are reaching out to everyone to coordinate and cooperate in order to preserve pan-Arab security..."
Cees Page 10 of 11 09/04/2015
By Capt (Ret) C de Waart, feel free to share: in Confidence
Endnote: [1] An umbrella organization of five Iranian opposition political organizations, the largest of which is Mojahedin-e-Khalq.
Regards Cees, Each year, the US intelligence community presents an annual threat assessment to Congress. This year’s report came out in February. Normally, I only pay attention to what the report reveals about topics like cyber, terrorism, regional threats, etc. One paragraph in particular jumped out : Global political instability risks will remain high in 2015 and beyond. Mass atrocities, sectarian or religious violence, and curtailed NGO activities will all continue to increase these risks. Declining economic conditions are contributing to risk of instability or internal conflict. - This is seen in Al-Qaeda’s Strategies of the Management of Savagery and the Diversification of Fronts. But, because we view the threat as terrorism we are blinded to the strategic consequences of extremism. Infrastructure and economic activity is being destroyed and disrupted across the Middle East and North Africa providing more fertile recruiting for extremists.
Cees Page 11 of 11 09/04/2015
