Pajhwok
07/29/2010
By Abdul Qadir Siddique
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KABUL - Some Afghan analysts and Kabul residents agree with information contained in the recently leaked documents on Afghan war regarding Iran's assistance to Taliban and al-Qaeda backers.

They urged the international community to thwart Tehran's interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, saying stability would continue to elude the country as long as foreign meddling continued.

Released by Wikileaks on Sunday, the documents contain previously untold details of the Afghan war. The stream of US military intelligence reports accused Pakistan and Iran of aiding the escalating Taliban insurgency.

It also accused General Hameed Gul, the ex-head of the Pakistani spy agency, the ISI, of hatching a plot to assassinate President Hamid Karzai.

Senior Afghan government officials and political analysts insist the war logs vindicate their long-held view that neighbours' interference is a major factor behind ongoing instability.

According to Wikileaks, Iran has been financing and arming Taliban and their commanders who have ties to the al-Qaeda network. On January 30, 2005, Iran allegedly sent 10 million afghanis to four members of the Hezb-i-Islami Afghanistan, led by Gulbadin Hekmatyar, in Farah province.

"It's not for nine years, but for a much longer time that Iran has been interfering in Afghanistan' affairs," Noorul Haq Uloomi, a member of parliament, told Pajhwok Afghan News on Tuesday.

He thought Iran, afraid of the huge American presence in Afghanistan, was doing this in its own interests. "That's why Iran is supporting anti-Afghan government elements." He urged the global community to mount pressure on Iran to stop the practice.

Afghanistan Regional Studies Centre Director Abdul Ghafoor Lewal said Iran wanted the international troops withdrawn from Afghanistan and that was why it was trying to see instability in the country. He called for international action to end the meddling from Pakistan and Iran.

A parliamentarian from northern Kunduz province, Moeen Mrastyal, referred to reports about the insurgents using Iranian weapons against Afghan and international forces. "It indicates that Iran is aiding Taliban. Several Iranian citizens have been held in Afghanistan for supporting Taliban."

He said Iran could not tolerate the American presence in Afghanistan, and hence the possibility of its meddling in Afghanistan. The MP called upon the international community to stop such interference.

A number of Kabul residents also believe the Wikileaks reports are genuine and that Iran is interfering in Afghanistan.

Iran was, and is, the enemy of Afghanistan," said Gul Muhammad, a resident of the 5th police district in Kabul.

Habibullah, who lives in the Macro Ryan neighbourhood of the capital, also blamed Iran for helping insurgents as part of its animosity towards the United States. It has long been clear that Iran is meddling in Afghanistan, according to him.

Despite hectic efforts, Pajhwok was unable to obtain the view of the Iranian Embassy in Kabul. However, Tehran has always denied having links with anti-Afghan government elements.

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