AP Exclusive: Al-Qaida moving in and out of Iran, stoking US suspicions about Tehran’s motives

AP Exclusive: Iran eases grip on al-Qaida

WASHINGTON — Former and current U.S. intelligence officials say al-Qaida operatives detained for years in Iran have quietly been making their way in and out of the country.

Officials say intelligence points to a worrisome increase in movement lately and raises the prospect Iran has loosened its grip on the terror group. The Shiite (SHEE’-eyet) regime in Tehran is generally hostile to al-Qaida, which is Sunni (SOO’-nee).

Al-Qaida terrorists living in Iran has been a major concern. The CIA even established a highly classified program — code named RIGOR — to study whether it could target terrorists such as al-Qaida in Iran.

The officials who described al-Qaida’s movements in Iran spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.