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Report: Saudi Official Met Al-Zawahiri
TEHRAN, Sept 13--The secretary-general of the Saudi Supreme National Security Council has secretly visited al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri in a region near Afghan-Pakistani
border, Fars news agency reported.
Fars quoted "Hijr" news website as citing "certain" sources in the Pakistani government as saying that Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, former Saudi envoy to the US,
met with al-Zawahiri near the Afghan border.
According to the report, the visit has been arranged in Waziristan tribal area by a number of Pakistani intelligence officers supporting the Taliban and al-Qaeda. The sources
did not give further details.
It is widely believed that al-Zawahiri, Bin Laden and other al-Qaeda leaders are in that rugged mountainous region and enjoy the support of pro-Taliban Pakistani tribes.
According to
the report, political analysts say that al-Zawahiri's recent statements in which he accused Iran of cooperating with US officials in fighting al-Qaeda have to do with the secret visit.
In a statement marking the
anniversary of the Sept 11 attacks, al-Zawahiri accused Iran of collaborating with Washington in Afghanistan and Iraq to curb the terrorist network.
The report says anti-Iran allegations by al-Qaeda number two leaves
"no doubts" that current actions by Zawahiri are in line with "orders and viewpoints by Bandar bin Sultan."
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