Akmal's colleague, Walter Murray of the Gulf Intelligence Monitor agreed, saying it would be foolish for the group to alienate potential supporters in the West and endanger the fruits of years of lobbying western governments with such attacks. Murray felt the bombers were more likely "...loose cannons..." in Iran's military or intelligence services. According to Iranian top national security official Ali Agha Mohammadi, "[t]he terrorists of Ahvaz infiltrated Iran from the region of Basra" in southern Iraq." He added that "[t]hese terrorists have been trained under the umbrella of the Americans in Iraq."
Akmal and Walter Murray work for the same company.