The London-based Al-Zaman daily has learnt from “Afghan sources in Kabul and London” that the air tickets for Arab fighters discovered in the Tora Bora caves indicate that they had used Tehran International Airport as a staging point for entering Afghanistan, thus making Iran one of the probable destinations for their retreat.
The daily adds "Bin Laden had sent propagators to western Iran to establish Al-Qaeda cells. There was a reasonable response and sympathy for them." According to the sources, "Bin Laden's move to Iran, and specifically to the nearby areas in it, is a possible option." "Iran is ideal country for a fugitive person. In addition to its ruggedness, the lack of control there have turned it into the preferred route for smugglers bringing drugs from Pakistan to central Iran."
Additionally, according to these sources, the lack of cooperation between Washington and Tehran plays a role in Bin Ladin's decision to cross into western Iran.
Last week, the Pakistani Jang daily reported also that Osama Bin Laden secretly left Afghanistan and arrived in Iran, where he was provided shelter by an ethnic group, which is opposing the Iranian Government.
Meanwhile, the Tehran-based Afarinesh newspaper has speculated that in fact the US intelligence knows well where Bin Laden is hiding. However, “America is thinking that if it should embark on his immediate arrest, it would lose the greater part of its rationale for its presence in Afghanistan. Therefore, America has postponed the arrest of the chief of al-Qaeda until it achieves its desired objectives,” the Iranian newspaper said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
