al-Qaida in Iran

Iran has denied a Washington Post report that two senior al-Qaida figures are hiding out in far eastern Iran near the Afghan border, saying it has a policy of not giving asylum to al-Qaida members.

One thing no one has pointed out is that the southeast of Iran is very rugged and dominated by a tribal, Sunni Baluch population not exactly friendly to the ayatollahs in Tehran. I wonder if Baluchi patrons or criminal elements (Zahedan lives on smuggling) have taken money to shelter the al-Qaida leaders? If so, we should find out. Tehran is not powerful in that part of Iran, but it can go in and get someone if it wants.