DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – In the rigid enemy-or-ally world view of Osama bin Laden and his chief lieutenants, Iran occupied a spot somewhere in between – a state seen as arrogant, enigmatic and driven by self interest, according to newly released al-Qaida documents.

Yet there is also a sense that al-Qaida recognizes the importance of Iran's role in the region and the need to keep some level of dialogue.

The papers – seized in last year's raid on bin Laden's Pakistan hide-out and posted online Thursday by the U.S. Army's Combating Terrorism Center – portray al-Qaida's relations with Iran as clouded by deep mutual distrust and sharply divergent interests.