Mike Pompeo Claims without Evidence That Iran Is Al-Qaida's New 'Home Base'

THE GUARDIAN: Move seems designed to restrict Biden administration’s options as secretary of state confirms killing of al-Qaida leader in August

The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has claimed, without providing evidence, that al-Qaida leaders have established a new “home base” in the Iran, in what appeared to be his latest effort to raise the political cost of the next administration reviving the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran.

Speaking with just eight days left in office, Pompeo alleged that Iran was “the new Afghanistan”, telling a news conference in Washington: “Unlike in Afghanistan, when al-Qaida was hiding in the mountains, al-Qaida today is operating under the hard shell of the Iranian regime’s protection.” » | Julian Borger in Washington | Tuesday, January 12, 2021

This assertion appears to be manifestly absurd! Al-Qaeda is a Sunni terrorist group. Iran is Shia. Sunnis and Shiites hate each other with a vengeance. This alone makes Pompeo’s assertion highly unlikely to be true. Pompeo is playing to people’s ignorance. He, in his position, should know better than this. The man needs to go back to school! – ©Mark Alexander

Netanyahu: US Shift in Stance on Iran Is an Important Change

Apr. 21, 2017 - 9:10 - Israeli prime minister discusses how his country faces its security challenges on 'Hannity'

Al-Jazeera TV Host Faisal Al-Qassem Incites to Ethnic Cleansing of Shiites in Sunni Regions in Syria

ISIS Beheadings of Shiite Hazaras Spark Biggest Protest in Afghanistan in Years

Thousands of people rallied in the Afghan capital Kabul in protest against the killing of seven people by Afghan militants claiming loyalty to the Islamic State. The protesters said the security situation in the country deteriorated after the incident and government did not take any measures to deal with it. The victims were kidnapped by the terrorists along a main road in Ghazni months ago.

WIKI: Hazaras »

The Watchman: Sunni And Shia Jihadists Battle

On this week's edition of The Watchman, we sit down with leading Middle East analyst Elliot Chodoff to discuss the ongoing battle between Sunni and Shia jihadists in the region and what it means for America and Israel.

Commentators on Arab TV: Obama Supports Iran Because His Father Was a Shiite

Confused? Shiites in Iraq Armed by US, Shiites in Yemen Bombed with US Help

The US has been providing intelligence for the Saudi operation in Yemen. And Washington has drawn controversy over how it splits friends from foes when it comes to the Middle East.

Cleric Bechir Ben Hassen Praises European Tolerance toward Muslims, Calls to Purge Tunisia of the Shiites

The Prophet's Curse: Islam's Ancient Divide Fuels Middle East Conflicts

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: They began as a cry for freedom in the Middle East, but the Arab rebellions have become increasingly characterized by an ancient sectarian conflict between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. SPIEGEL examines how the power struggle between the two groups is sparking new fears along old frontlines.

In the countries that follow the Muslim faith, the lines between past and present often blur, making it seem as though the past is not over, and certainly not forgiven. Indeed, the past can come terribly alive here, and it can turn terribly deadly, again and again, every day.

When representatives from around the world convened in the Iranian capital of Tehran last Thursday for the start of a Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, an annual meeting of 120 nations that view themselves as not aligned for or against any major powers, the focus was suddenly on 1,300-year-old battles, murders and power struggles. The host was Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a Shiite. Next to him on the dais was Egypt's new president, Mohammed Morsi, a Sunni.

Morsi began his opening address with a mention of the Prophet Muhammad, but then continued: "May Allah's blessing be upon our masters Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali."

Iranian media immediately took the statement as a provocation. Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman were Muhammad's successors after the Prophet's death in 632. Sunni Muslims venerate them as the first caliphs -- but Shiite Muslims consider them usurpers and traitors to the faith, hated figures whose very names should not be spoken. Muhammad's true successor, Shiites say, was Ali, their first imam, who later fought against the other three before being murdered. » | Christoph Reuter | Thursday, September 06, 2012

Shiite Cleric Convicted for Blasphemy in Indonesia
abc NEWS: An Indonesian court sentenced a Shiite cleric to two years in jail for blasphemy Thursday in a case rights activists have called a setback to religious freedom in the world's third-largest democracy.

The three-judge panel found Tajul Muluk guilty of insulting Islam with his religious teachings.

Citing testimonies from witnesses, the panel said Muluk had taught about revising daily obligatory prayers from five to three, saying the current holy book of Quran was no longer authentic and considering companions of the Prophet Muhammad to be infidels.

"The defendant has been legally and convincingly proven guilty of blasphemy," said presiding judge Purnomo Amin Tjahjo. "His acts, in principle have insulted Islam."

He added that Muluk had dispensed Shiite religious teachings that were declared heretical by the influential Indonesia Ulema (preacher) Council. The council and most Indonesian Muslims are Sunni. » | Associated Press, Sampang, Indonesia | Thursday, July 12, 2012

London-Based Shiite Cleric Yasser Al-Habib in Anti-Sunni Rhetoric: The Caliph Omar Had an Anal Disease that Made Him Addicted to Homosexuality | Fadak TV (U.K.) - May 24, 2012

U.A.E. Vets Workers for Ties to Tehran
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: ABU DHABI -- The United Arab Emirates, a staunch U.S. ally and a neighbor to Iran, is tightening oversight of government workers and foreign residents because of concerns about the threat of infiltration by Iranian agents.

Some Emirati citizens and expatriates in the civil service have been reassigned or stripped of responsibilities, according to people familiar with the matter. Other private-sector workers suspected of ties to Iranian-linked groups have also lost their jobs, these people said.

The policy has triggered concern that the U.A.E. government is targeting Shiites as potential threats because of the religious affiliation they share with Iranians, rather than because of any hard evidence linking them to the Iranian government.

Lebanese Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri visited the U.A.E. capital, Abu Dhabi, on Tuesday in part to discuss the deportation of 44 Lebanese and their families, all Shiites, from the U.A.E. this summer.

The U.A.E. president, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, denied the government was discriminating against Shiites and reiterated his nation's sovereign right to defend itself. "The country does not target any nationality, religious sect or faction," he told Mr. Berri, the state news service reported.

The U.A.E. and other small, Western-aligned Arab Gulf states have worried in recent years that they could be the targets of retaliation by Tehran for any military action by the U.S. or Israel against Iran's nuclear program. They have acquired missile-defense and surveillance systems to protect their borders.

Now, the U.A.E., a federation of seven sheikdoms, is turning inward to address what a government official calls a "significant" security worry: the possibility that Iranian-linked sleeper cells could sabotage critical sectors such as energy, banking and transportation. >>> Margaret Coker | Friday, October 16, 2009

Supreme Leader Calls on Shiites, Sunnis to Maintain Solidarity
TEHRAN TIMES: TEHRAN (FNA) - Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on Monday urged all Muslims, including Shiites and Sunnites, to maintain and enhance heartfelt solidarity.

“Continued unity and solidarity of all Iranian peoples and different political streams in defending the flag of Islam in Iran is necessary and guarantees a bright future for the nation,” Ayatollah Khamenei reiterated while addressing a gathering of local residents in the city of Bijar in the western Kurdistan province. 



The Leader further reminded that unity of the Iranian people from different ethnic and religious backgrounds and their subordination and obedience to the Late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini, created such a fresh civilization and movement in the world politics that its leading effects are still clearly observed not only in Palestine and Lebanon but also in awakening nations from northern Africa to eastern Asia. >>> | Wednesday, May 19, 2009