In testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that “there is no doubt there is a connection between the Islamic Republic of Iran and al-Qaeda. Period. Full stop.”
If the connection was that al-Qaeda has been fighting against Iran, and
vice versa, for decades he might have a point. That’s clearly not
Pompeo’s intention, however, and other officials are noting that he’s
wrong.
Pentagon and State Department officials say Pompeo’s comments were “way
out of proportion,” and that there “is nothing in the intelligence to
suggest” that Iran and al-Qaeda are working together in some grand
anti-US alliance.
So why is Pompeo lying? It’s because legally what he claims would have
been very convenient. The 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military
Forces (AUMF) authorizes war against groups affiliated with al-Qaeda,
and Pompeo is among administration officials talking up war with Iran.
Linking them to al-Qaeda, however non-credibly and preposterously, would
be a way to allow Trump to circumvent Congress on authorization.
Officials Reject Pompeo’s Claim Iran Is Working With al-Qaeda
Pompeo's claim 'not supported by any available information'
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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