Kings and Generals of Nations

Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, North Korea, Cuba, and Sudan remain the seven governments that the US Secretary of State has designated as state sponsors of international terrorism. Iran continued to support numerous terrorist groups-- including the Lebanese Hizballah, HAMAS, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)--in their efforts to undermine the Middle East peace process through terrorism. US Department of State: Patterns of Global Terrorism: 1999.

"I think you have an 'atomic bomb' brewing between Osama bin Laden, Hezbollah and the Iranians. If these two huge forces are married, either could set off the spark. Sooner or later you are going to see more from these people." Kenneth Katzman, the Terrorist Analyst for the US Congress, 1998.

Iran's Role as Sponsor of International Terrorism

The Iranians, who funded Shiite Mujahadeen factions in Afghanistan, are deeply involved in Islamic Sudan which the governments of Algeria, Egypt and Tunisia accuse of training and aiding fundamentalists. Soon after the Tehran conference, Algeria and Egypt were hit by waves of assassinations and kidnappings reminiscent of the operations conducted by Tehran-backed Shiites in Lebanon between 1983 and the end of the civil war there in 1990.

Cairo security authorities claim there is a link between the Gulf financiers and Iran's intelligence services. Among those financiers closely connected with Iran is Osama bin Laden and his brother Khaled, whose family made a vast fortune in Saudi Arabia in the construction industry over the last two decades. He is a key figure behind the 'Afghan International'. Bin Laden founded the Islamic Salvation Foundation in Saudi Arabia through which he financed initially the Afghan Mujahadeen, later extending that to radical Islamic groups around the Arab world.

        Following the end of the Iran-Iraq war, Iran no longer restricted itself to the Shi'i domains: instead, it opened itself up to a genuine effort to export its revolution to Sunni-populated areas, such as Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and the Palestinian area. The change in Iran's external policies coincided with the eruption of the intifada which brought forth the saliency of Islamic militancy in the form not only of the Palestine Islamic Jihad movement but, more forcibly, through Hamas. Following the deportation of the Islamic Jihad leadership to Lebanon in 1988, Iranian involvement with the organization was significantly enhanced.

        Politically, the Islamic Jihad's views on the Iran-Iraq war and the peace process were and are a mirror reflection of Iran's views on these issues.

        The deportation in 1988 of Fathi Asquaqui (leader of the Islamic Jihad) and others to Lebanon, and the transfer of the Palestine Islamic Jihad headquarters to Syria thereafter marked a turning point in the development of the Iranian-Islamic Jihad relationship. From this point on direct contact was established between the Islamic Jihad activists and their Iranian sponsors through Iranian embassies in Beirut and Damascus, through the (Iranian) Revolutionary Guards stationed in Lebanon, and through Hezbollah.

        The State Department's office of counter-terrorism in its report on international terrorism clearly established that the Palestinian Islamic Jihad receives funding from Iran. It is also known that Hezbollah receives funding and arms from Iran on a regular basis. Both of these groups are considered to be 'umbrella' organizations of Iran, in that they act largely under the orders and support of Iran. Arms transported to these groups are primarily funneled through and with the cooperation of Syria.

        Hezbollah and Palestine Islamic Jihad also have an acknowledged base in an area of South America called the 'tri-border area' where Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay meet. Iranian secret services agents and embassies in these three countries cooperate with these groups in the conduction of terrorist activities in South America, and in providing Iranian agents and other terrorists with false identity papers for travel to and from the US and other countries.

      For further information on this subject refer to:

•  'The Washington Institute for Near East Policy' paper 'Iranian Links to International Terrorism' by Hillary Maun: at http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/watch/Policywatch1998/296.htm
• The Washington Institute for Near East Policy paper 'Iranian Links to International Terrorism' by Hillary Maun: at http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/watch/Policywatch1998/296.htm
• Jane's Intelligence Review: Arab Veterans of the Afghan War

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