Pakistan: 'Prominent' Analyst Says Iran not Involved
in Sending Arms to Taliban
This article from Juan Cole's most
informative website at www.juancole.com
http://www.juancole.com/2007/04/pakistani-analysis-of-reported-iran.html
Discussion between Rustam Shah Momand, former
Pakistan ambassador to Afghanistan and prominent
Afghan affairs analyst, on telephone line and senior
Pakistani journalist Kamran Khan in studio in Karachi
on seizure of weapons consignment coming from Iran
for Taliban--live; taken from regularly scheduled
"Today with Kamran Khan" program; words within double
slant lines are in English
Geo News TV April 19, 2007
(Kamran Khan) The US administration revealed that a
big consignment of weapons, which actually belongs
to Iran, has been seized and this consignment was
being sent to Taliban (in Afghanistan) from Iran.
This information was given by Gen. Peter Pace,
chairman of US joint chief of staff, in Washington.
While giving this information, Pace, however, said
that the United States is still not sure as to which
department of the Iranian government is helping
Taliban and providing arms to Taliban. The United
States had been earlier insisting that Shi'ite
extremists in Iraq are receiving aid from Iran and a
big //source// of attacks on the US troops in Iraq
is Iran. But so far the United States has never held
Iran responsible for spreading insurgency in
Afghanistan and the charge of helping Taliban had
only been made against Pakistan. This is the first
time that Iran has been charged (with helping
Taliban).
We would try to know the //importance// of the US
allegation. We have with us on telephone line Rustam
Shah Momand, former Pakistan ambassador to
Afghanistan and prominent Afghan affairs analyst.
Peace be upon you, Momand.
(Momand) Peace be upon you too.
(Khan) Momand, is it surprising to you that the US
administration, rather head of US armed forces, is
claiming that a consignment of //Iranian-made//
weapons which was being delivered to Taliban from
Iran has been seized?
(Momand) The claim is both surprising and not
surprising because Afghanistan like Iraq is such a
region and country where the interests of United
States and Iran are not in conflict or in
confrontation with each other. (Sentence as heard)
This is one point. Secondly, as far as sending of
this consignment of weapons is concerned, it is
possible that the Iranian government may have not
been involved, but there is a possibility that this
business must have been going on in //private
sector//. The situation, in fact, is that the Taliban
face acute shortage of resources and they have been
continuing their operations in last 4 to 5 years,
especially in last 1 year, by procuring //cheap//
weapons from small or big sources. I, therefore,
believe that as the (Taliban) //resistance// near
the Afghanistan's westerner border with Iran is
expanding to a great extent and this area cannot
be //supplied//from any other area, eventually the
Taliban will buy weapons from Iran in
small//quantities// and bring it to Afghanistan. As
you know the //narcotics smuggling// from Afghanistan
to Iran is taking place on large-scale at
Afghanistan-Iran border. If the narcotics smuggling
is taking place, weapons can also be smuggled, but
the Iranian government itself will not be involved
in it.
(Khan) Momand, the reason (for the Iranian government
not directly helping Taliban) may be because of
ideological and religious conflict between Iran and
Taliban. When //change of government// took place
(in Afghanistan) after the fall of Taliban government
engineered by the United States with the help
and //support// of the Northern Alliance, Iran had
fully supported that process and //indirectly//
helped the United States in ousting the Taliban
government.
(Momand) Not only that, the United States fully
cooperated with the organizations which were working
in Afghanistan and which were considered very close
to Iran. Rather, and more than that, those Afghan
organizations, those political parties, (close to
Iran) were given the representation in the cabinet
and parliament in //disproportionate// to
their //following// in Afghanistan. That could not
have happened without the United States desire. That
is why I earlier urged that there is no conflict of
interest between the United States and Iran in
Afghanistan and that is why I do not believe that
there is a possibility of any kind of //direct
involvement// of the Iranian government in sending
of arms consignment. But it is possible that the
consignment was purchased from the traders
or //smugglers//, whatever they may be called, which
was, perhaps, seized and which the elements involved
in Afghanistan //resistance// wanted to use.
(Khan) Thank you very much. Rustam Shah Momand,
former Pakistani ambassador to Afghanistan, was
commenting on the statement by Gen. Peter Pace,
chief of US joint chief of staff, that a big
consignment of weapons has been seized in Afghanistan
which was Iranian-made and was being sent to Taliban
from Iran.
(Description of Source: Karachi Geo News TV in Urdu)
This article from Juan Cole's most
informative website at www.juancole.com
http://www.juancole.com/2007/04/pakistani-analysis-of-reported-iran.html
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