Question 1 - "What 'country' do you think wants control of the Persian Gulf Region?"

Well quite a few down through the ages. Russia has longed for a warm blue water port since the time of Peter the Great, and post WWII they would have dearly loved to have enticed Iran or Iraq into being their puppets. The US spoilt their plans for Iran in 1953, and Saddam would have suited them had it not been for his rather reckless foreign adventures. More recently Iraq tried in 1980 when they attempted to knock out Iran, and currently Iran seeks to control the region.

Question 2 - "I would consider this 'backing', wouldn't you?"

Well no Dianavan I would call what your Wikipedia cut'n'pastes describes as mutual self-interest.

Question 3 - "who do you think backs al Qaeda?

Not a clue Dianavan but if you know please pass the info on otherwise you might find yourself in trouble. But my guess would be Sunni sympathisers around the World, Drugs, Guns, smuggling and extortion

Question 4 - "al Qaeda has most of its training grounds along the Afghan/Pakistani border."

Where they are losing over 7000 of them killed in Afghanistan since 2006. Where else are Al-Qaeda operating Dianavan - in Iraq where they have been driven out of every urban safe-haven that they had except Mosul and currently there is an operation in progress to deny them that city. Out in the countryside in Iraq Dianavan they will be like fish out of water, figures for Iraq Dianavan were over 4000 dead in 2007 alone. Al-Qaeda has been marginalised in Iraq they are firmly on the back foot and the same situation is coming to pass rapidly in Afghanistan.