# Iran-Al Qaida Link: Equivalent to the Iraq-Al Qaida Link? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 25, 2003, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-al-qaida-link-equivalent-to-the-iraq-al-qaida-link/177437 "2003-05-25T19:08:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-al-qaida-link-equivalent-to-the-iraq-al-qaida-link/177437/21 "2003-05-26T18:20:24Z")
**luc** , [http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/2002/10/101502.html](http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/2002/10/101502.html) ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-al-qaida-link-equivalent-to-the-iraq-al-qaida-link/177437/22 "2003-05-26T18:33:13Z")
Well, now, to be rigidly fair (and we can afford to be, our stock of ammunition runneth over) that doesn’t state any direct connection as regards the dreaded aluminum tubes, just that they are enjoined from any and all such discussions. Simply because it includes the topic does not _necessarily_ mean that it is aimed at such. We don’t need rabbit-ammo. We already got howitzers. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-al-qaida-link-equivalent-to-the-iraq-al-qaida-link/177437/23 "2003-05-26T18:41:38Z")
True enough. But it deals with the wider questions about the legendary Iraqi WoMD’s and the allegations floating around about how the aluminum tube analysis, (that they were unsuitable for centrifuging nuclear materials), was done by furriners and therefore untrustworthy. It seems to be just another link in the chain. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-al-qaida-link-equivalent-to-the-iraq-al-qaida-link/177437/24 "2003-05-26T19:28:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SimonX \* > **Where were you in Feb. when Colin powell made his presentation to the UN?** The same presentation that claimed the existence of massive stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction? The ones that seem to have vanished? > [@](#): > > Then there were the papers that were found in the rubble that suggested preliminary contacts between Hussein’s regime and Al Qaida. Whooooopee. “We found some documents in a busted up old building that suggested they might try to meet with someone from al-Qaida.” > [@](#): > > Then there are the many americans who think that Hussein was personally involved in the 9-11 tragedies. \*\* Many Americans also believe Elvis is still alive. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-al-qaida-link-equivalent-to-the-iraq-al-qaida-link/177437/25 "2003-05-26T19:47:43Z")
Elvis is in Oceania. Elvis has always been in Oceania… ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-al-qaida-link-equivalent-to-the-iraq-al-qaida-link/177437/26 "2003-05-26T20:12:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RickJay \* > \*\* > The same presentation that claimed the existence of massive stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction? The ones that seem to have vanished? > \*\* Yes, that’s the one I’m referring to. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RickJay \* > \*\* > Whooooopee. “We found some documents in a busted up old building that suggested they might try to meet with someone from al-Qaida.” > \*\* I have no idea as to why you’re so excited about the docs. 😕 > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RickJay \* > \*\* > Many Americans also believe Elvis is still alive. \*\* And… The questions in the OP remain unaddressed by your response: > [@](#): > > **How tenable is the Iran-Al Qaida link? Any stronger than the Iraq-Al Qaida link?** Any thought as to the OP **RickJay**? ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-al-qaida-link-equivalent-to-the-iraq-al-qaida-link/177437/27 "2003-05-27T00:27:02Z")
SimonX, do you understand the concept of sarcasm? If so, reread RickJay’s second response. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-al-qaida-link-equivalent-to-the-iraq-al-qaida-link/177437/28 "2003-05-27T00:50:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TwistofFate \* > \*\*SimonX, do you understand the concept of sarcasm? If so, reread RickJay’s second response. \*\* I posted these comment already in this thread: > [@](#): > > \*\* > If you know that the Iraq-AQ link is barely there, use that as the starting point for your comparison to the Iran-AQ link. > > I suspect that they are as flimsy as the ties that Iraq had; however, I don’t know. So… > > Are there any substantial allegations? Or is it just “They’re all Muslims and they all hate America,” thing again?**[in reference to the Iraq-AQ link allegations]** > > What was presented regarding the Iraq-AQ link were irresponsible misrepresentations, at best. > \*\* So from what I can tell, **RickJay** either didn’t bother to take the time to read the thread before responding, or… I can’t figure out why felt the need to post what he did the way he did. The OP addresses the comparison of the evidence against Iraq vs. the evidence against Iran re Al Qaida. **RickJay** did very little if anything toward addressing the OP. If _you_ understand the concept of sarcasm go back reread what _I_ posted to **RJ**. ---
**Author:** ![Wake\_up\_call](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dec6dc/32.png) [@Wake\_up\_call](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wake_up_call)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-al-qaida-link-equivalent-to-the-iraq-al-qaida-link/177437/29 "2003-05-27T07:08:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SimonX \* > \*\*How tenable is the Iran-Al Qaida link? Any stronger than the Iraq-Al Qaida link? > > What’s the evidence? > How credible is it? \*\* The evidence is as credible as the CIA conspiracy to remove Mossadegh in 1953 and bring the Shah into power. At that time, nobody believed it was an American-British conspiracy. American Media presented it as an Iranian revolution against the so-called Communist supported Mossadegh. It took 45 years until Madeline Albright had to publicly apologize for the conspiracy on behalf of the American people and their government. So, here we are again in 2003. The Neocons are bent on changing the geopolitical landscape of the middle East. So, 9/11 came about, followed by Afghanistan, Iraq, and now the downfall of the house of Saud in Saudi Arabia, followed by the change of regime in Iran The problem is that the last time we changed the regime in Iran in 1953, we ended up with the reaction of the Iranian people in 1979 (remember the hostage crisis). Now, we plan to do the same thing again in 2003 and meddle in Iranian affairs by “helping” to create an uprising against the Mullah’s regime. What we don’t realize is that the Iranian youth is already organizing to change the stone-aged Mullah’s regime. We should not interfere in that movement. We should not even offer to help. If we do, we’ll be stealing a genuine Iranian uprising, turning it into yet another American / British conspiracy, for which both us and the Iranian people will have to pay a price 40 years from now. That is my two cents in this debate. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-al-qaida-link-equivalent-to-the-iraq-al-qaida-link/177437/30 "2003-05-27T15:25:04Z")
This is one of the most detailed explanations I’ve found so far: > [@](#): > > [link](http://www.hipakistan.com/en/detail.php?newsId=en26702&F_catID=&f_type=source) > A senior administration official who is skeptical of the Pentagon’s arguments said most of the al Qaeda members — fewer than a dozen — appear to be located in an isolated area of northeastern Iran, near the border with Afghanistan. He described the area as a drug-smuggling terrorist haven that is tolerated by key members of the Revolutionary Guards in part because they skim money off some of the activities there. It is not clear how much control the central Iranian government has over this area, he said. This sounds similar to the allegations that the Hussein gov had ties to AQ because someone who had tertiary contacts w/AQ was in a Kurdish controlled area among an anti-Hussein group. By these standards Florida harbored tha 9-11 terrrorists. Regime change!Regime change! Florida harbored terrorist! ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-al-qaida-link-equivalent-to-the-iraq-al-qaida-link/177437/31 "2003-05-27T15:36:10Z")
> [@](#): > > [UPI](http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030521-014129-3689r) > U.S. tells Iran not to support al-Qaida > > By Anwar Iqbal > From the International Desk > Published 5/21/2003 3:07 PM > U.S. intelligence officials are now telling reporters the bombings in Riyadh were planned by al-Qaida leaders in Iran. These allegedly include Saif al-Adel, an Egyptian CIA regards as al-Qaida’s current No. 3 leader. > > Saudi officials have added to the speculation he may have planned the Riyadh bombings. But so far neither the Saudis nor the Americans have offered any evidence to show he is in Iran or that he indeed planned the attacks in Riyadh. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-al-qaida-link-equivalent-to-the-iraq-al-qaida-link/177437.md?page=1)