Scott talks to Gareth Porter about the decades-long attempt by neoconservative war hawks in the U.S. to link the Iranian government to terrorist activities, most notably those of al Qaeda in Iraq. This was the supposed justification for the killing of Qasem Soleimani earlier this year, a claim that Porter says is totally unfounded. Allegations that Iran knew about and supported al Qaeda operatives during America’s war on terror have always been tenuous at best, and a recent analysis of documents found in Osama bin Laden’s home prove that clandestine operatives hiding in Iran were doing so without the knowledge of that country’s government, and knowing that they would be captured if discovered. As usual, such claims are simply used by those who want war with Iran for their own purposes.

Discussed on the show:

• “Washington’s tall tale of Iranian-Al Qaeda alliance based on questionably sourced book ‘The Exile’” (The Grayzone)
• The Exile: The Stunning Inside Story of Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda in Flight

Gareth Porter is an investigative historian and journalist on the national security state, and author of Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare. Follow him on Twitter @GarethPorter and listen to Gareth’s previous appearances on the Scott Horton Show.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

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