Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — The administration of President Barack Obama played
down Iran’s orders to assassinate the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the United
States.

A former senior U.S. commander asserted that the administration refused
to highlight the Iranian link to a foiled attempt to kill Saudi ambassador
Adel Al Jubeir in Washington in 2011.

Outgoing Central Command chief Gen. James Mattis, who retired in April, said Iran, unlike the account given by the Justice Department, ordered the bombing of a restaurant frequented by Al Jubeir.

“Frankly, I’m not sure why, again, they haven’t been held to account,” Mattis said. “They have been basically not held to account. I don’t know why the attempt on Adel wasn’t dealt with more strongly.”

In an address on July 21 to the Aspen Security Forum, Mattis cited a statement by Attorney General Eric Holder on the arrest of an Iranian in the assassination plot. The retired general, who lobbied for a stronger U.S. response to the Iranian threat, said Holder buried the details of the Iranian plot in legal jargon.

“They [Iran] actually set out to do it,” Mattis said. “It was not a
rogue agent off on his own. This decision was taken at the very highest
levels in Teheran. Again absent one mistake, they would have murdered Adel
and Americans at that restaurant a couple miles from the White House.”

Mattis also raised concern over U.S. policy toward Teheran amid its
advancement toward nuclear weapons. He said Iran has been shielding its
nuclear infrastructure from a Western attack.

“I don’t think anyone can destroy a program that has spread out from
Teheran to the mountains, from underground facilities to above ground,”
Mattis said. “And much of it is destroying access to underground
facilities.”

  Adel al-Jubeir, Eric Holder, Gen. James Mattis, Gen. Mattis: Iran ‘not held to account’ for assassination plot on Saudi envoy