Canada Terror Plot: Iran's Complex Al-Qaeda Connection
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: When Canada accused "al-Qaeda elements in Iran" of guiding the alleged plot to derail a train, the veil was briefly lifted on a tangled yet crucial relationship between Osama bin Laden's followers and Tehran.

Iran and al-Qaeda, divided by race and religion, are not exactly natural allies. Bin Laden’s heirs are radical Sunni Arabs with a visceral suspicion of Iran’s Shia Persian regime. Indeed the hardline Salafists of al-Qaeda consider the Shia faith a heresy: in their eyes, Shias are not true Muslims at all.

Yet Iran and al-Qaeda are united by anti-Americanism and the compelling logic of “my enemy’s enemy is my friend”. With this in mind, there is no doubt that Iran granted refuge to senior al-Qaeda figures after the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

The fugitives included bin Laden’s daughter, Fatima, and no less than four of his sons: Othman, Mohammed, Laden and Sa’ad. Along with various other key figures, they were kept under house arrest, but given safety.

”The reality is that since 2001, Iran has provided refuge for al-Qaeda elements, including some senior leaders,” said Jonathan Eyal, head of security studies at the Royal United Services Institute. “The Canadian claim that this plot has been engineered on Iranian soil is entirely plausible. Western intelligence agencies have known for a long time about the presence of al-Qaeda operatives in Iran.” » | David Blair | Tuesday, April 23, 2013

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Terrorist Plots Mount in UK
Photo of Sir Ian Blair courtesy of the BBC
BBC: The number of terrorist plots in the UK is "mounting" and the "magnitude" of their ambitions growing, Met Police chief Sir Ian Blair has warned MPs.

He was making the case to the Commons Home Affairs committee for extending the current 28-day limit for detaining terror suspects without charge.

Terror law watchdog Lord Carlile told MPs longer detention would not harm relations between Muslims and police.

He said foreign policy was more likely to "radicalise young people".

The government has said the time has come to re-examine the 28-day limit - which was doubled from 14 days in 2005 - because of the complexity and nature of the threat of terrorism. Met chief warns over terror plots (more)

Mark Alexander