CIA: Qaeda-Iran Connection an 'Open Secret'

 Central Intelligence Agency Asharq Al-Awsat Arabic
Central Intelligence Agency Asharq Al-Awsat Arabic
TT
20

CIA: Qaeda-Iran Connection an 'Open Secret'

 Central Intelligence Agency Asharq Al-Awsat Arabic
Central Intelligence Agency Asharq Al-Awsat Arabic

CIA director Mike Pompeo described the connection between Iran and al-Qaeda as an “open secret”, a relationship that he and others criticized the Obama White House for downplaying.

“It’s an open secret and not classified information that there have been relationships, there are connections,” Pompeo said during an event held by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “There have been times the Iranians have worked alongside Qaeda,” he added.

Pompeo said that that cooperation sometimes occurs because the two view the West as a common enemy.

“They’ve cut deals so as not to come after each other, that is, they view the West as a greater threat than the fight between the two along their ideological lines,” he said.

He added that the intelligence community is still monitoring those ties, especially given the complexity of the situation in Syria.

“With the defeat of the real estate proposition in Syria and Iraq for ISIS, we watch what’s going on in Idlib, you’ve got ISIS folks, al-Nusra front, Qaeda folks up in the North,” he said, “we are watching to see if there aren’t places where they work together for a common threat against the United States.”

He added, “It's not only the case that the Iranian regime knew that Qaeda operatives were working in Iran, there was an agreement that explicitly permitted it. And it's not only the case that the Qaeda operatives had the ability to transit Iran, the Iranian regime facilitated that transit. The coordination with Iran came as a result of a secret agreement and included active assistance to Qaeda members.”

Pompeo said that the CIA would release more of those documents in coming days. Obama’s former national security adviser Tom Donilon has described the quantity of intelligence captured in that raid as enough to fill a “small college library.”



EU Commission Discusses Curbs on Israel Research Funding amid Gaza Pressure

 Palestinians inspect the site struck by an Israeli bombardment in Muwasi, Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Monday, July 28, 2025. (AP)
Palestinians inspect the site struck by an Israeli bombardment in Muwasi, Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Monday, July 28, 2025. (AP)
TT
20

EU Commission Discusses Curbs on Israel Research Funding amid Gaza Pressure

 Palestinians inspect the site struck by an Israeli bombardment in Muwasi, Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Monday, July 28, 2025. (AP)
Palestinians inspect the site struck by an Israeli bombardment in Muwasi, Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Monday, July 28, 2025. (AP)

European Commissioners will on Monday discuss a proposal to partially suspend Israel's access to the EU's Horizon research funding program following calls from EU governments to increase pressure on Israel over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Multiple EU countries said last week that Israel was not living up to its commitments under an agreement with the European Union on increasing aid supplies to Gaza and asked the Commission to put concrete options on the table.

The proposal was mentioned in a published agenda of Monday's meeting of the College of Commissioners, the top decision-making body of the European Union's executive. But the Commission has not explained it in detail.

EU and Israeli officials had no immediate comment on the proposal.

Israel has been participating in the EU's research programs since 1996, taking part in thousands of joint research projects over the past decades.

Earlier this month, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Israel had agreed to expand humanitarian access to Gaza, including increasing the number of aid trucks, crossing points and routes to distribution hubs.

But in a tense meeting of European ambassadors in Brussels last week, countries including France, the Netherlands and Spain said not enough was being done, according to diplomats.

Earlier this month, EU officials presented a list of options that the bloc could pursue to put pressure on Israel, but the bloc has so far refrained from pursuing any of them.

Israel on Sunday announced a halt in military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and new aid corridors, while Jordan and the United Arab Emirates have airdropped supplies into the enclave.

But officials and aid groups remain concerned and say much more needs to be done to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.