The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces says that the United States' efforts to establish Al-Qaeda branches in Syria and Lebanon will create a greater threat for Europe than nuclear weapons, MNA reported.
"The danger of establishing Al-Qaeda on the southeast coast of the Mediterranean is more dangerous than the threat of nuclear weapons," Major General Hassan Firouzabadi said in Tehran on Monday.
Firouzabadi warned that a great strategic threat is taking shape in the southeast Mediterranean.
It is widely believed that the United States and its Arab allies in the Persian Gulf helped create Al-Qaeda.
"The global arrogance (forces of imperialism) which created Al-Qaeda and the Taliban and then received serious blows from them and today claims it is at war with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic country of Pakistan has closed its eyes to" its previous mistakes, "and now it is establishing Al-Qaeda in Syria and Lebanon," he opined.
Even though the U.S. claims it killed the Al-Qaeda leader and buried his body at sea, "today Al-Qaeda has a leader" and the U.S. "knows" him since he is leading the "terrorists and mercenaries in the southeast Mediterranean," he added.
Firouzabadi, who is also the chairman of the Board of Trustees of Iran's National Defense University, said U.S. strategists should explain this paradox, namely if the United States is fighting Al-Qaeda in Pakistan and occupied Afghanistan, "why are they again establishing Al-Qaeda on coasts near Europe?"
He went on to say that it would be a strategic mistake to create Al-Qaeda branches in this region because the Europeans would suffer the most serious consequences.
"It is necessary that the United Nations, the Security Council, the secretary general of the United Nations, and the (UN) Human Rights Council prevent this new disaster (from occurring) in the world."
Firouzabadi said the new plot will pose a serious threat to Europe, the Islamic world, and the entire world.
"With the military knowledge that we have, we consider it a threat to Europe and the Islamic world, and thirdly for the entire world, because Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan created problems for the whole world. Al-Qaeda in Syria and Lebanon would also create a disaster for the entire world."
He also stated that the Al-Qaeda ideology, which is inspired by the Wahabbis, who regard all other followers of Islam as unbelievers and believe that killing them and raping their women is halal (legal in Islamic law), will actually show no pity for Christians and Jews.
He added, "We hope that the world will think" about it and take prompt action to nip this great threat in the bud and prevent its emergence because otherwise, later it would be difficult to stop it.