Iran might want U.S. help against al Qaeda
Iran could be interested in cooperating with the United States to combat al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan, a leading U.S. expert on Afghanistan said on Thursday.
Barnett Rubin, one-time adviser to former U.N. special representative to Afghanistan Lakhdar Brahimi, said Iranian officials have told him privately that al Qaeda poses a new threat to Afghanistan that could have implications for Iran's national security.
"That's pretty important information," said Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, the panel's Democratic chairman. "That directly relates to even the limited purpose that's been stated for meetings with Iran and Syria."
Levin and Republican Sen. John Warner of Virginia said they would order Rubin's testimony sent to the State Department with a request that the issue be considered for upcoming talks.
The enemy of your enemy is your friend, or not?
