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Al-Qaeda Member's Account of His Stay in Iran
http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=countries&Area=iran&ID=SP176407 ^

Posted on 03/22/2008 12:17:59 PM PDT by newbie2008

"After the disintegration of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan at the end of 2001 as a result of the American attack and the coming to power of other Afghan forces in the country, instructions were received from our leadership to retreat from Kabul in the direction of Kandahar. In the month of Ramadan, we received instructions from our commander to leave for Iran in order to seek refuge there. We arrived in Iran via Pakistan, where we did not stay very long. Our group consisted of about 30 fighters, among them Faisal Al-Dakhil, 'Amr Al-Shehri [both killed in 2004] and other prominent figures wanted by the Saudi government.

"We were aware that Afghani [Islamist] leader Gulboddin Hekmatyar, who resided in Iran [at that time], was acting as an intermediary and liaison [between us and] Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Hekmatyar promised us accommodation in the border city of Zehdan [in southeastern Iran], where the majority of the residents are Baluchi Sunnis. There we met with Al-Qaeda commander Abu Hafs Al-Mauritani, who had earlier opposed the September 11 attacks. [Al-Mauritani] assured us that we were in a safe place, and that we would be questioned by Iranian intelligence services in Teheran, who would provide for all our needs during our stay in Iran.

"Our numbers dwindled: only 10 of us remained after about two-thirds of our group had disappeared, Al-Dakhil and Al-Shehri among them. We moved to Teheran and met with the interrogators. They proposed that I collaborate with them from abroad, [that is,] from my country [Saudi Arabia], supplying them with information that they would need in the future. Their offer shocked me. I declined, and then was overcome with fear that the refusal would [harm the chances of] my release and return to my country. The interrogator began enticing me: '[You will receive] a monthly salary of $10,000, an Iranian passport, and military training with Hizbullah in Lebanon.'


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; alqaeda; guards; hizbullah; iran; iraq; irg; lebanon; revolutionary; taliban

1 posted on 03/22/2008 12:18:00 PM PDT by newbie2008
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To: newbie2008

Bookmarked


2 posted on 03/22/2008 12:20:30 PM PDT by indcons
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To: newbie2008
"In the month of Ramadan, we received instructions from our commander to leave for Iran in order to seek refuge there. We arrived in Iran via Pakistan..."

Pakistan is East of Kandahar.

Iran is West of it.

3 posted on 03/22/2008 12:22:37 PM PDT by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: Southack

Pakistan will gladly shroud their paperwork, or lose it.


4 posted on 03/22/2008 12:25:51 PM PDT by Celerity
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To: Southack
So what? Iran and Pakistan border each other. I guess they went through the Baluchistan region, which lies in SE Iran and SW Pakistan.


5 posted on 03/22/2008 12:32:39 PM PDT by SolidWood (All conservative effort into retaking Congress!)
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To: newbie2008
Al-Qaeda Member's Account of His Stay in Iran

Dear Poopsie,

Wonderful people in Iran! Having a lovely time. Abdullah forgot his swim trunks, so we had him wear a burkha! It was hysterical!

Iranian women are friendly and pretty, and the cuisine is amazing.

Weather fine, having a delightful time, wish you were here.

Kiss kiss,

Al-Kassan.

6 posted on 03/22/2008 12:43:55 PM PDT by Lazamataz (We're all gonna die!!!!)
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To: Lazamataz

Depends upon where you are in Pakistan from Khandahar as to directions.

Urdu is urdu. In late 69 did a study on country. Urdu was main language then. Do not know about today.


7 posted on 03/22/2008 2:31:01 PM PDT by Lumper20
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