Iran & AQ: a safe haven or holding cell?

**davidbfpo** · 09-15-2015

Anonymous intelligence sources led to this Sky News report; it starts with:

Iran has released five senior al Qaeda operatives from detention and will soon allow them to leave the country, prompting fears they will join other terrorists in Syria planning attacks on the West. According to intelligence sources, three of the five are members of al Qaeda's ruling committee the Shura Council.
They were released in exchange for an Iranian diplomat kidnapped in Yemen earlier this year.

(Later) intelligence sources said, were believed to be still in Iran but there are fears that they will be allowed to leave - probably to refill positions inside al Qaeda's leadership structure that has been mauled by drone attacks in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria and Somalia.

Link:http://news.sky.com/story/1552303/te...-qaeda-members

**davidbfpo** · 09-18-2015

The NYT adds:

The Iranian government, in a statement on Thursday after the release was reported by Sky News earlier this week, denied that the five men had been freed....The release of the men could re-energize the militant group, providing an influx of vetted leaders at a crucial time, terrorism experts say.

Link:http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/18/wo...-a-trade.html?

So six months ago this release happened or didn't, then a week ago the Khobar Towers suspect appears to have been "given up".

**davidbfpo** · 09-19-2015

The Long War Journal assesses the recent reports and concludes:

There is no question that Saif al Adel, Abu Mohammed al Masri and Abu Khayr al Masri are among al Qaeda’s most senior leaders....the freed jihadists may serve another purpose. Jihadists on social media have circulated a rumor suggesting that al Qaeda plans on relaunching a new branch inside Iraq, in direct competition with the Islamic State. The al Qaeda leaders released from Iran are well-positioned to lead this effort....These men could argue the opposite, saying they, and al Qaeda, are Zarqawi’s true heirs.

Link:http://www.longwarjournal.org/archiv...-from-iran.php

Now if that assessment is correct the Iranian "release" makes sense in countering ISIS. Indeed a certain US general has mooted using AQ to counter ISIS; strange world sometimes.