Not exactly news:

“WASHINGTON ‚Äî One of two known Al Qaeda leadership councils meets regularly in eastern Iran, where the American intelligence community believes dozens of senior Al Qaeda leaders have reconstituted a good part of the terror conglomerate’s senior leadership structure.

That is a consensus judgment from a final working draft of a new National Intelligence Estimate, titled “The Terrorist Threat to the U.S. Homeland,” on the organization that attacked the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The estimate, which represents the opinion of America’s intelligence agencies, is now finished, and unclassified conclusions will be shared today with the public.”

he classified document includes four main sections, examining how Al Qaeda in recent years has increased its capacity to stage another attack on American soil; how the organization has replenished the ranks of its top leaders; nations where Al Qaeda operates, and the status of its training camps and physical infrastructure.

The judgment that Iran has hosted Al Qaeda’s senior leadership council is likely to draw some criticism from those outside the government who doubt Iran plays a significant role in bolstering Sunni jihadist terrorism. Iran’s Shiite Muslims are considered infidels by the Salafi sect of Sunnis that comprise Al Qaeda.”

That Al Qaeda is meeting, or has ties in Iran isn’t news, the assertion that they have reconstituted to the point of actually carrying out real conherant attacks on our soil is something else.

It’s a possibility that Iran is protecting ousted Al Qaeda leaders such as Bin Laden’s son, Saad, as Gateway Pundit notes:

“In 2005 it was reported by Iran Press News that Iran was sheltering Saad, Mohammed and Othman bin Laden as well as other Al Qaeda members from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, north Africa and Europe.

Al Qaeda leader Saif Al-Adel fled Afghanistan in 2001 along with Osama’s son Saad and has found protection in Iran since that time.”

Of course this would have involved a change of heart as in 2003 it was reported that Iran was detaining Saad and other top level Al Qaeda operatives. That change most likely occured after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took office.

While this is disturbing, it’s important to understand that for a third of the security measures now in force 9/11 would have never happened, or at least would have been difficult to carry out. That operation is one they consider they’re greatest achievement.

This is not to throw water on the threat, but I believe our next move should be to use this information in our talks with Iran that are coming up.

UPDATE: Hilarious….Richard Clarke, who lied throughout his book, and who’s “intelligence” is lacking, calls the NIE Pablum. Talk about “Kettle Black”.

Don’t be a bit surprise by the “push back” by the usual crop of dead weights.