Iran will continue to stir the forces within the Middle East with their intense fanatical aspirations and the potentiality of certain things will always be present. There is no doubt that Iran gently stirs a simmering pot; an insidious process which coalesces the discontents and gropes further into the masses who are filled with discontent and impatience. Time is playing on their side. They've built strong local relationships which have the potential of significantly affecting developments in the ME on an ongoing basis.

They have started a chain of events which will not be easily altered. The fundamentalists feed on hatreds and fears. Seared deeply into the souls of many is the inevitability of the coming revolution where the Gulf will be purged of capitalism and its attendant greed. Whatever can be done to destabilise the political spectrum in the Middle East will be done and I hate to think of the consequences. The religion of the Saudis is strong, but is under challenge by Moslem fundamentalists who suggest that Saudi law is not Islamic, but tribal and has no place in a modern, democratic society that Islam strives to achieve. The overt capitalism of the Saudi Princes is something that many Moslem leaders find unacceptable and therefore is under challenge. The Gulf States don't want the poisonous ideas of the fundamentalists being imported into their Kingdoms. The ascendancy of Islamic Fundamentalism should not be regarded as a temporary aberration that will disappear. Iran has pumped dollars into fundamentalist organisations but this is part of their long-term strategy to increase their influence in the region.

Intelligence services in many countries have checked and cross checked their files, pulling the strands of information together. I believe a pattern has begun to emerge. The emphasis has shifted slightly away from Iran. It is difficult to hunt the nameless. Intelligence services would give anything to learn the names of the people involved, their whereabouts and headquarters. Certainly it was a gamble by those concerned, but it paid off and not for want of planning. It proves that they have men and women scattered throughout the ME gathering not only information on targets when required, but able to use extreme and damaging terror tactics if called upon. If the two events were co-ordinated, it implies a mastermind planning things on a massive scale, much wider than has been seen before. What we have seen is only a single facet of this organisation at work. They work with others and have accomplished much more by exchanging vital information and resources. These groups have been given every possible means of assistance and co-operation which includes not only military assistance and provision of weapons, but electronic technology, training in the use of equipment and any other such means in the propagation of propaganda, dissidence and Islamic ideals throughout the world. Few realise the full extent of the danger although I know the NSC has had critical sessions on the matter.
It has become a Machiavellian business, a warfare in the darkness with few clues to distinguish friend from foe. T angled plots and endless conspiracies, leading to the inevitable question, who is using whom? There is no way the intelligence gathering can foresee even the most broad strokes. The situation remains tense and it will become more volatile and violent andthe prospect is for more terror and further counter terror.

How far do Washington's fears go? Iran is not mad enough to risk a direct confrontation with the US - they are not that stupid. If Washington requires information on their nuclear technology, they should look to the Chinese, North Koreans and the French. It is they, especially the Chinese, who have been assisting the Iranians since the late eighties and early nineties.