"The story of al-Qaida and Iran is one that often is hard to figure out"

Despite his travel to Pakistan, al-Adel has so far chosen to remain based in Iran with his wife and family, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.

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This suggests that al-Adel and perhaps lower-level al-Qaida figures now consider Iran a viable outpost, with fewer restrictions and the added security that a U.S. commando raid or drone strike on Iranian soil is unlikely. Al-Adel, an Egyptian who allegedly helped mastermind the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Africa, is among the FBI’s most-wanted terrorists and the U.S. is offering a $5 million reward for his capture…

“The story of al-Qaida and Iran is one that often is hard to figure out,” said Karasik. “But there is a sense that Iran is not just a bystander. Links to top figures like al-Adel gives Iran channels to al-Qaida’s inner workings if they want to go on that path.”

With al-Zawahri leading the al-Qaida, al-Adel is likely to remain a behind-the-scenes organizer and planner of possible new attacks.

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