All of which could start getting very confusing since, in Iraq, US policy was (is?) to support Shia against the putative Sunni Saddam. Which would likely land the US on the same side as Iran, except that Iran, more cognisant of its broader interests, is opposed to war and bombs on Iraq.
Doug Henwood wrote:
>[pointed out by Sam Smith's Progressive Review]
>
>Palm Beach Post - July 27, 2002
>
>FBI: Just 200 hard-core Al-Qaeda
>
>By Rebecca Carr, Palm Beach Post Washington Bureau
>Saturday, July 27, 2002
>
>WASHINGTON -- Senior FBI officials believe there are now no more
>than 200 hard-core Al-Qaeda members worldwide.
>....
>"Everyone tries to tie everything into 9-11 and Al-Qaeda," said one
>of the two FBI officials interviewed Friday on condition of
>anonymity. "There was a recent report suggesting that Al-Qaeda is
>about 5,000 strong. It is nowhere near 5,000 strong."
>....
>As a result, the FBI's counterterrorism division is closely
>examining Iranian-backed Hezbollah and other radical Shiite Islamic
>groups. These groups have men, money and safe havens to elude
>authorities and could strengthen Al-Qaeda.
>
>"Now we are concerned that he (bin Laden) might be reaching out to
>the Shia side, which we have never seen before," a senior FBI
>official said. "We are concerned they might start focusing on trying
>to utilize each other's support networks."
>....
>"If we don't keep our focus on Hezbollah, Iran, Iraq, Hamas, the
>Shia side of the house, we are putting ourselves in a very deep hole
>because if they decide to join the fray with Al-Qaeda, with the
>Sunni side, Sunni extremists, this country is in very serious
>trouble," the senior FBI official said.