ABSTRACT
This chapter examines a selection of sources on the alleged links between Iran and al-Qaeda looking particularly at American and Arab charges of cooperation between the two. Al-Qaeda from an entirely Iranian perspective, focussing on Iran's reading of the Sunni 'network'. It will be argued that Iran's foreign policy, and its interaction with actors such as al-Qaeda, cannot be fully understood without an appreciation of the political factions and the institutional fragmentation which is characteristic of the Islamic Republic. Having examined the key allegations linking Iran with al-Qaeda, and Iranian counter-recriminations of US complicity with bin Laden and his followers, we can now discuss our findings against the idiosyncrasies of the Islamic Republic and the geopolitical realities of the Middle East. The chapter examines two overarching themes: accusations of Iranian complicity with al-Qaeda, and the readings of al-Qaeda by Iran.
