A report from the commission investigating the attacks of September 11, 2001, concludes that there were close ties between Al-Qa’ida and Hizbullah, the Shi’ite terrorist organization based in Lebanon, which is funded and supported by Iran.
According to The Washington Post, 10 of the 11 plane hijackers on September 11 passed through Iran before they carried out the attacks.
The relationship between Al-Qa’ida and Iran was far stronger and more longstanding than the international terrorist network’s ties with Iraq, the report said. Officials familiar with the document said Iraq never established operational ties with Al-Qa’ida.
The report places the spotlight on controversial statements made by President George W. Bush and senior members of his administration that there may have been significant ties between the ousted Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and Al-Qa’ida.
Bush said on Monday that officials are now probing possible Iranian links to the attacks, The Washington Post reported.
There is no evidence indicating that Iran actively aided the September 11 attacks, but officials suggest there were ties between Shi’ite Iran and the Sunni Al-Qa’ida. This relationship is complex due to the traditional rivalry between Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims.