In the latest issue of the al-Qaeda English-language magazine „Inspire“, an author appears to take offense to the „ridiculous“ theory repeatedly spread by Ahmadinejad that the 9/11 attacks were actually carried out by the US government in order to provide a pretext to invade the Middle East. The Iranian government has professed on the tongue of its president Ahmadinejad that it does not believe that al-Qaeda was behind 9/11, but rather the US government. So we may ask the question: Why would Iran ascribe to such a ridiculous belief that stands in the face of all logic and evidence?" The author admits that Iran was the first of the two to use the „Great Satan“ as a synonym for the US, but claims that the Islamic Republic sees itself as a rival for al-Qaeda when it comes to anti-Americanism and is jealous of the 9/11 attacks. According to al-Qaeda, Iran continues to deny that Osama bin Laden and his people were responsible for the attacks because doing otherwise would expose their „lip-service jihad“ against the US. Ahmadinejad said in a speech in Tehran two weeks ago, „This incident was a planned and complex game aimed at influencing the human race as an excuse to occupy Iraq and Afghanistan.“ „for them, al-Qaeda was a competitor for the hearts and minds of the disenfranchised Muslims around the world. Al Qaeda… succeeded in what Iran couldn't. Therefore it was necessary for the Iranians to discredit 9/11 and what better way to do so? Conspiracy theories.“