Al-Qaeda-Linked Terrorist Claims American Support
Here’s where it could get tricky for U.S. officials. It should not be too difficult to confirm whether or not the images of Rigi flashed during the press conference match up to the Manas military base. (There’s no mention of Rigi on the website for the Transit Center.)
Is the CIA really doing business with an al-Qaeda linked organization? Could the enemy of Iran’s mullahs be seen as friends of the United States? Last October, former CIA agent turned Time magazine columnist Robert Baer confirmed that the agency had indeed had contact with Jundallah in the past. Baer said it was “confined to intelligence gathering in the country.” The English-language Iranian news outfit Press TV calls Jundullah “a Pakistan-based terrorist group closely affiliated with the notorious al-Qaeda organization.”
As Baer explained, it has been Jundallah’s ability to target commanders of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps that have been keeping Iranian mullahs up late at night. In October 2009, a suicide bombing by the group killed five or six top commanders and 25 other people. In 2008, sixteen Iranian police officers were killed; eleven were killed in 2007 and nine were killed in 2005.
For now, details in this shadowy story full of terrorists and their possible puppeteers remain murky. Even the facts regarding Iran’s forcing the airplane down have become grist for the rumor mill. Al-Jazeera TV reported that Rigi had been arrested in Pakistan and handed over to Iran by authorities there. The Guardian reports that other accounts say Rigi was arrested in Iran, but after the small aircraft he was flying on had already landed there.
Iran is firm about one thing: “We have clear documents proving that Rigi was in co-operation with American, Israeli and British intelligence services,” Heydar Moslehi says.
Right. And we’re supposed to believe a “confession” extracted by the ayatollahs’ questioners, why?
The claim that the Americans, Brits, and/or Israelis are secretly behind everything from gas shortages to earthquakes is standard Iranian propaganda fare.
Obie’s own Iran-Contra?
The Iranians have photoshopped pictures before. Remember their missile tests where they added a bunch more missiles to the photo?
Is that right ?
Iran has sworn to destroy both the United States and Israel, yet we are supposed to feel sorry for them when they allege that the U.S. and Israel (the countries they have advocated the destruction of) support a violent opponent of their regime. Classic passive aggressive behavior (the palestinian have perfected this art form as well).
When you play in this arena, your team mates are not likely to be candidates for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. This is a dangerous and dirty game, always has been.
There are two Jundallahs, one against Iran based in Pakistan/Afghanistan, another allied with Qaeda based in Pakistan. According to several reports, Iran intentionally conflates the two to claim US/UK/PAK support for a Qaeda based terrorist.
Pretty basic stuff. Reports and claims from the Iranian press shouldn’t even be viewed with a wary eye, they should be discredited completely, then gone over with a fine tooth comb, then you might be able to find one or two facts that stand up to even basic journalistic scrutiny. Press TV’s report last night on Rigi was surreal. Almost as mind warping as RTV’s reporting during the conflict with Georgia.
“John the Libertarian: The Iranians have photoshopped pictures before. Remember their missile tests where they added a bunch more missiles to the photo?”
I really liked the way all their missiles launched simultaneously went off in all possible directions.
I felt like saying, “Hey, do another one!!!”
“It has been Jundallah’s ability to target commanders of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps that have been keeping Iranian mullahs up late at night”
The way things are going these days, another explanation could be that we turned him over to the mullahs in an effort to help them stay in power. I hope not, but we’ve done nothing to help the Iranian people and is it really such a stretch these days to wonder if our government would acutally assist the Rev Guard by turning over their arch enemey?
The US military base at Manas is collocated with the preexisting civilian airport. So yeah, it’s entirely possible he was photographed “outside” or “at” any one of the facilities. Whether he was actually inside the exclusive US area is another matter.
Like we are supposed to believe anything coming out of Iran??Why didn’t the “o” support the uprising over there?He is as much a liar as the Iranians. . . .
Confessions derived from torture in an Iranian jail have as much validity as American politicians’ campaign promises!
Why no press uproar over the plane hijack by Iran and the kidnap of the American agent (Abdol Malek Rigi)?
Why no press uproar over the 5 bogus passports the terrorist murderer arms dealer in Dubai had: from the same countries as the alleged Dubai contract killers?
Why no disclosure the so called number 2 Taliban was thrown to the wolves (great satin) by “mule a” Omar?
Only possible conclusion: The press is controlled by the terrorist.
Cog is probably right: after using a fine tooth comb, you’ll likely find a few bits of truth in there from what the Iran, Afghan and Pakistan people are saying.
Notable in their silence: the US Marines, who are applying a blunt-toothed comb to Helmand Province, a short distance from the Iran cities in question.
This sounds serious! Can we interview the corpse?
Don’t discount this. Jundallah was a Baloch-Nationalist group fighting the Revolutionary Guards. I am almost certain Rigi had US/British/Israeli support. How much support? I don’t know, but I know they gave Rigi technology that allowed him to moniter Revolutionary Guards communications.
There were CIA leaks published in 2007 by Sy Hersh that reported the CIA was supporting Jundallah.
But I thought the coincidental timing of Jundallah’s attacks odd. Following a historic meeting that ended 30 years of closed US-Iran relations, Jundallah killed Iranian security leaders in an attack just as Iran and US delegates were planning a second summit to close a deal to reduce Iran’s nuclear enrichment. This hampered the deal.
Anything is possible here – Rigi could be supported by rogue elements that want Obama to fail, just like when Reagan’s campaign allegedly used Daddy Bush’s CIA ties to make backdoor deals with the Iranians to hold our hostages until the day after Reagan was elected.
Let’s list other possibilities, shall we?
A very smart and diplomatic answer. It’s really appreciable and general
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