Despite its periodic crackdowns on the terrorist network, Iran has served as a refuge for Al Qaeda operatives suspected of plotting attacks in Europe and the Middle East and of playing a central role in the Iraqi insurgency, European investigators say.
Investigations in France, Italy, Spain and other countries since the Sept. 11 attacks point to an increasing presence in Iran of Al Qaeda figures, including suspected masterminds of this year’s train bombings in Madrid and last year’s car bombings of expatriate compounds in Saudi Arabia. But Iran’s complex politics and secretive policies have made it difficult to determine the nature of any relationship between Iranian officials and the terror network, investigators say. Full Story
