Absolutely groundless: Russia rejects US claim of Iran-Qaeda ties

Russia has dismissed the United States’ latest bout of trying to link the al-Qaeda terrorist group and Iran without providing any proof as “absolutely” groundless.

“This is absolutely unsubstantiated and unreasonable. There is absolutely no information” supporting such a claim, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zamir Kabulov said in a statement on Wednesday, Russia’s Sputnik news agency reported.

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has established himself as the most radical anti-Iran official within US President Donald Trump’s now-outgoing administration, called Iran the terrorist group’s “new home base” without producing any evidence. He made the remarks as part of, what he called, publicizing “declassified US intelligence,” which — as in the case of Washington’s other claims against Tehran — surprisingly lacked all “declassified proof.”

This was not the first time Pompeo was trying to associate the terror group with Iran. Similar to the latest push, however, his previous such attempts too lacked any evidentiary basis.                                                                                                                            

The now lame-duck secretary of state has been on the campaign, although all the US’s previous such accusations, including those made by former president George W. Bush’s administration — during which al-Qaeda’s 9/11 attacks against the US took place — have been discredited.

Iranian officials have identified such efforts as Washington’s attempt to try and eclipse its own role in creation and reinforcement of al-Qaeda and similar terror outfits.                                                                                                     

Shortly after Pompeo’s remarks, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called him “Mr. 'we lie, cheat, steal,'” who was “pathetically ending his disastrous career with more warmongering lies.”

The Iranian official went on to say, “No one is fooled. All 9/11 terrorists came from @SecPompeo’s favorite West Asia destinations; NONE from Iran.”

Zarif was referring to Saudi Arabia and its widely-known financial and ideological sponsorship of the terrorist outfit, which was created by Saudi citizen Osama bin Laden in 1980.

The Russian official further denounced the US top diplomat’s remarks by saying, "It seems that Mr. Pompeo, at the end [of Donald Trump’s presidency], wants to do something else to hurt Iran.”

ME