The use of Al-Qaeda for political purposes

We have recently read reports about Iranian-Syrian schemes to stir sedition and tension in the region. Some personalities and institutions are on the hit list under these schemes. Amid the steadfastness of the Syrian Free Army, the bloody crackdown on rebels and the lack of a political solution, the Syrian regime seeks to take pressure off by creating trouble in the region.
There are indications that the situation is being exploited by the troublemakers. There has been communication between Al-Qaeda groups in Iraq and Syria to just do that in return for funds. The Saudi border police arrested some 15 Iranian infiltrators after intelligence reports. Meanwhile, we had predicted that Assad regime would support some sleeper cells in Lebanon. Gen. Wissam Al-Hassan, the assassinated Lebanese intelligence chief, had preempted the scheme by gathering some concrete evidence of a Syrian plot to destroy Lebanon. Seen in this way, he was a strategic target of the embattled Syrian regime. This evokes the memories of the assassination of Rafik Hariri and the lack of respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty by a regime that tries to export its internal crisis outside the border of Syria.
Last week, Jordan announced the arrest of Al-Qaeda members coming from Syria. This group was caught red-handed with weapons, explosives and communication devices. This corroborates the previous intelligence analysis that the Syrian regime would resort to the tactic of destabilizing Jordan. Syria planned that by creating some sleeper cells and sending some agents as refugees to the camp of Al-Zaitri in Jordan so that they can create disorder in the refugee camps. The objective of this terrorist group was to blow up the downtown in Amman to cause humanitarian catastrophe in which more than 1,500 people would lose their lives. Targeting some diplomatic missions would also cause chaos and perhaps an internal war in the country. Yemeni security personnel also busted a terrorist cell linked to Africa. This Al-Qaeda affiliated group sought to sneak into Saudi Arabia to create disorder during the pilgrimage season. The planners behind the infiltration of this group thought the Saudi authorities would loosen control of the borders as their focus would be on the pilgrimage. The 23 prospective infiltrators who came from Africa were tasked — according to Yemeni intelligence investigations — with targeting some security facilities in Saudi Arabia. The Yemeni vigilance, in fact, foiled their destructive scheme.
It is therefore not a mere incident that Al-Hassan was assassinated. Al-Hassan managed to decipher the working of the terrorist cells and succeeded in bringing about stability in Lebanon. We all remember that he arrested a Lebanese government minister, Michel Samaha, who had been ordered by the Syrian National Security Bureau to create trouble in Lebanon.
There is evidence that points to the group that is planning to create sectarian tension in Lebanon and instability in Jordan or creating security issues during pilgrimage. First, Syria urged Iran to stir sectarian problem in the Gulf. Second, the Yemeni president warned Iran of the consequences of violating Yemen's sovereignty. Third, the attempt to buy land for Iran near the port of Midi in Yemen, which is close to the Saudi borders. Fourth, Iran’s purchase of land in the south of Iraq and setting up a training camp for the Jerusalem Battalion. All these are documented. In addition, there is an Iranian presence on some African islands that oversee the Red Sea. Fifth, Iran tries to push some Arab Shiites to create sectarian anarchy in the region. In fact, the Saudi authorities arrested some Iraqis with weapons who had infiltrated the Saudi territory. This group belongs to Ammar Al-Hakim — the Shiite president of the Islamic Council in Iraq. Saudi sources confirm that the confiscated weapons were on their way to the city of Al-Qatif.
Interestingly, the arrest of the Iraqis coincided with the meeting between Saudi Interior Minister Prince Ahmed and the Iranian ambassador in Riyadh. The ambassador confirmed the commitment of his country to abide by the security conditions of the pilgrimage. On top of that, the ambassador invited the prince to visit Iran. The irony is that after this meeting, some Iranian infiltrators were caught. Prince Ahmed confirmed that their destination was Kuwait and that they are still under investigation. If anything, this proves the professionalism and credibility of the Saudi security agencies in light of the existence of previous knowledge about the plans to exploit pilgrimage for causing anarchy. There were some accusations to discredit the Saudi Ministry of Interior that said the body was behind some operations. These accusations were made before the arrest of these people in order to embarrass the Saudi Ministry of Interior in the media. Nonetheless, the alertness of the security men thwarted such a scheme.
Interestingly, Tehran has reached some understanding with the American administration on the nuclear issue although the Iranian media and their leaders still deny it saying they oppose the United States. Even Efraim Halavey, the former head of the Israeli Mossad, has urged that there should be an understanding with Tehran. Some reports in the American media talk about a future face-to-face meeting between Iran and the United States to settle the nuclear issue. In fact, there is a history of Iranian-American secret dealings. The New York Times stated on May 27 that the American authorities imposed some sanctions on an Israeli company — Ofer — for dealing with Iran on energy issue. The number of Israeli companies working in Iran is 200.
In the end, we can make the case that all schemes have been exposed. Iran is engaged in a regional game with one aim: Destabilizing the region. To do that, Iran has been dealing with all radical forces especially Al-Qaeda.
The American intelligence sources confirmed this reality in Yemen. And this begs the questions: What is going to happen after the demise of the Assad regime? What is going to happen after the end of the "period of inactivity" that Obama got from the Israelis to postpone a military strike on Iran? We pose these questions even though we have firm conviction that a military Israeli scenario is nothing but a weak play. We know that the objective is to mobilize the Iranian street to support the religious current in order to preempt an Iranian spring that has become like a daily nightmare for Iranian leadership.