Esquire: Death on the Iranian Border

Life in Afghanistan is so hard, people have been fleeing to Iran in search of jobs. But in doing so, some are paying the ultimate price.

November 5, 2007

ISLAM QALA, Afghanistan — The people of Islam Qala, a border town where Iran meets Afghanistan, say a man was killed here last night. He was making a run for Iran a few miles up, and they shot him. He will not make the news; with all the dying in Afghanistan and the black cloud of nuclear rhetoric hanging over Iran, there is little concern left for a man trying to travel in between.

The mass deportations started in the spring, thousands of Afghans rounded up and trucked to the border. 100,000 people in the first two months. Families were separated, stories surfaced of legal immigrants having their papers torn up, of beatings, intimidation, and theft. And still, Afghans are desperate enough for jobs in Iran to try swimming upstream.

“Afghanistan is a bad country because we don’t have any money, you can’t do anything.” Esmatullah is the driver dispatched to take me from Herat to Iran. He’s finely groomed and neatly dressed in jeans and a blazer; he could be selling slacks at Saks 5th Avenue. But people invest in dress because to make money here you have to look like you have it, and despite the means suggested by his outfit, waiting at home for Esmatullah is a sick wife whose medication he cannot afford. He has a son as well, two-year-old Navid. “It means good times,” he says. Whether the boy’s name was divined before, after, or — my best guess — during conception, he won’t say.

And so we find ourselves in an old car with a cracked windshield and broken air conditioner, cruising westward through the desert, past the ruins of castles built centuries ago and refugee camps built within my lifetime. There is no human presence for as far as the limits of human vision — and the mountains miles away — allow us to see, only the empty, weather-beaten encampments whose color so resembles that of the terrain they seems to have risen from the earth in a single moment of terrestrial agitation.

Then there is a girl, not more than nine years old, wearing a red dress and walking alone in front of the walls. Her dress tugs at her as the wind tugs at it, pulling her forward faster than she’d like to go so that she has to lean back into the wind. So much life having already moved through these refugee camps, her presence appears purely spectral.

“You are lucky,” Esmatullah says. “You have a nice city. See my city, my country?” He lowers his head; squints. “In your country, people are free. Do you know what it means, ‘free?’ It means you don’t have to do some actions because the government says. We can’t have girlfriend, womens can’t go out without chadr, do you know what it is, chadr? Womens can’t wear any clothes that they want.”

In the eyes of the Afghans, Iran’s society is free, its infrastructure sophisticated (and intact), and its opportunities attractive. And that the people on this side are called Afghan rather than Iranian is only arbitrary; one of the many geopolitical residues of the Great Game. The borders were drawn with a typically colonial disregard for ethnic nuance and an eye instead toward creating a buffer state between the Brits and the Tsarists, so now rival tribes share a national identity, while a family finds itself separated in two different countries. Here, Sunni Tajiks of the same parentage reside on either side of chain-links and razor wire.

As you move further west along the road to Iran, the pretext of an Afghan national identity withers, and Iran’s industrial reach presents itself. We drive toward the border on an Iranian-built road; we are escorted by Iranian-built power lines. In the distance, orange dump trucks glide across the desert as if they belong there. Esmatullah says that they’re building a railroad, that although Iran is kicking Afghans out they want to keep selling to Afghanistan. “It is the person that is, how do you say? Two-faced.” Still, Esmatullah would be in Iran at a moment’s notice if he could. “I wanted to leave Afghanistan but I couldn’t. The situation was very bad for learning, for business, I couldn’t finish school. It’s like a dream for me every time that I go somewhere, where I can learn new language, computer programs, but it’s a wish. How many countries have you been to?”

As we near Iran and the border towns, sand spilled from the desert creeps across the road. A man stands on the asphalt with his hands on a shovel. He lifts a pile of sand, flicks his wrist and lets the wind do the rest, carrying the cloud of swirling dust over the road. A small boy holds out his hand for alms. They’re not part of any government road maintenance team, they’re just Afghans jobless here and unwanted elsewhere, serving as a makeshift municipality borne from Afghanistan’s signature brand of desperate entrepreneurialism. But no one stops to pay; the child is an unintimidating taxman. The boy and the man watch us drive by.

We pass them at eighty miles per hour and we’d be going faster if we weren’t into the wind. The road is good, a rarity for this country, and we have it to ourselves. Then there is a car with Iranian plates brushing by us on the right, two wheels catching the sand and sending the car swerving; it fishtails for fifty meters, and then regains control and jets off, out of sight in an instant. A ripple of action on a piece of land devoid of life, through which people pass on their way somewhere else but seldom stay. “Maybe he is afraid of Afghanistan,” Esmatullah says with a smile. “He is an a rush to get home.” A few moments later, a border police pickup truck passes on the left.

For those conspiratorially inclined, Iran presents plenty of fodder. There was the shipment of hi-tech roadside bombs from Iran intercepted in Afghanistan last month, booty that had Western pundits wondering rhetorically how Tehran could possibly not know about weapons moving under their noses.

There is poetry in the accusations. Iran using Afghanistan to fight America the same way America once used Afghanistan to fight the Soviets — as a remote playing field where the enemy’s blood can be let by your weapons in someone else’s hands. And there is the curious pattern here; it is mostly men being deported through Islam Qala. Iran’s border with Afghanistan extends to Nimroz and Farah provinces, border crossings near no airport and accessible by no safe road. It’s nearly impossible for any journalist to get there to document soldiers pushing people from busses, and, whether by coincidence or not, those are the places where the women and children are let off.

The impact of a sudden surge of unskilled workers and resource — draining refugees on an already unstable country is predictable. There are no jobs for them. They can sweep sand from the road and watch people drive by. They can also join the insurgency, or fund it by farming poppy. It’s the West with its shoulder against the wall trying to keep the whole thing from toppling over, so we hear that all of it — the bombs, the mass deportations — are part of hot potato concocted by Iran to keep the international community distracted from its nuclear ambitions. Iran meanwhile asks why they should have to drain their subsidized health care and compound their own job shortage to accommodate Afghans, especially given that Western countries have effectively closed their doors to Afghan refugees. The government of Afghanistan maintains that their relations with Iran are amiable. From here, it looks like Iran has deflected the economic impacts of American-imposed sanctions onto one of America’s own clients.

There are a number of checkpoints as we near Iran. Soldiers open the trunk, they look through our things, Esmatullah shows them my ISAF press credentials, we move on. At one stop Esmatullah talks congenially to one of the officers, who lets us pass without a search. “It’s about security, to make sure there’s no bomb, but he’s my friend.”

When we reach the gates of the border, it is late afternoon, and it is quiet. Men walk into Afghanistan through the fenced-in corridor that connects the two countries, accompanied by porters carrying their bags who, for having been born on this side, will never see the other. There is an “Afghan Duty Free Shop.” Parked nearby is a bus that has “Tourism Germany,” written on the side. The guards swap out, carrying their dented teapots with them. We get out of the car, walk around, take pictures. Someone says 160 people were deported yesterday, but there is little happening now. We talk to some people, and then we turn around and head back to Herat.

On the way back, the sun is setting. The Herati sunset is Mother Nature’s muse to Persian poets, its charm inspiring greats like Jami, the last great lyricist in classical Persian. And everything on the way between Islam Qala and Herat is oriented toward Persia. The Iranian-built road; the Iranian-built power lines; the domed huts built for centuries with chimneys tilted westward to catch the wind from Iran for cooling; the makeshift antennas jerry-rigged to the roofs to grab Iranian television channels.

As we drive on with the sun fading behind us, cars begin pulling over. Their occupants climb out, lay their prayer rugs down on the side of road, and begin their bows toward Mecca. Which here in Afghanistan, is also toward Iran.

AFP: Afghan troops and ISAF repulse Taliban from Khak-i Safid district

HERAT, Afghanistan, Nov 5, 2007 (AFP) – Taliban extremists briefly captured a third district in western Afghanistan early Monday but were driven out by Afghan forces and their international allies, officials said.

Taliban fighters in about 40 vehicles stormed into Khaki Safed district in the province of Farah around 1:30 am and took the administration headquarters, police and government officials said.

“Government authorities, police and the governor made a tactical withdrawal of the district administration centre,” said General Ekramuddin Yawar, police commander for western Afghanistan.

“Later Afghan police, army and ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) went back to the district and retook control at 3:30 am,” he told AFP.

Farah province, which borders Iran, had its Gulistan and Bakwa districts seized by Taliban rebels last week after intense fighting.

Yawar said the rebels had fired some rockets at the district administration building, which was slightly damaged, but there were no casualties to the government forces.

The Farah government spokesman, Mamnoon Rashidi, said it took 90 minutes for troops to take back Khaki Safed.

“Bakwa and Gulistan are in Taliban hands now. The forces are getting ready to retake control of those districts as well,” he said.

The Taliban, in government between 1996 and 2001, have previously overrun several districts in remote parts of Afghanistan but have been easily ejected with the help of the international forces on which the country relies.

They have, however, held the district of Musa Qala, close to Gulistan, since February and the area is considered a Taliban base.

President Hamid Karzai said at the weekend that the capture of remote districts was a result of the weaknesses of his own security forces.

The head of the Farah provincial council, Abdul Kader Daqiq, said his province had warned Kabul that the security forces were not capable of withstanding the Taliban.

“There are not enough police in these places and the army is not doing anything,” he said. “There is an emergency situation in Farah and the government should be careful.”

Farah is a strategic province in Afghanistan because of its border with Iran, across which opium and weapons are smuggled. A key road linking southern and western Afghanistan also runs through the province.

IRIN: Tehran expels 8,000 Afghans

HERAT, 5 November 2007 (IRIN) – The government of Afghanistan has called on Iran to stop deporting thousands of Afghan citizens without work permits or refugee status, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told IRIN on 5 November.

“Afghanistan is particularly vulnerable to any mass deportation during winter,” said Sultan Ahmad Baheen, a spokesman for the ministry, adding that the country lacked the capacity to integrate a large number of deportees.

In April and May this year, Iranian authorities deported thousands of Afghans – a move that caused a humanitarian problem for ill-prepared Afghanistan.

Iran slowed down the expulsions after the government of President Hamid Karzai, the UN and several other international organisations criticised the move and called for a more gradual deportation process.

However, Afghan officials in western Herat province, bordering Iran, say the deportations have restarted in the past 10 days, with at least 500 Afghans being sent home daily.

“Since 23 October, about 8,000 people have been deported from Iran to Herat province,” said Shamsuddin Hamid, director of the provincial department of refugee and returnee affairs.

The Iranian embassy in Kabul declined to comment on the issue.

Vulnerable deportees

Most deportees are young, single men who migrated to Iran mostly in search of employment and economic opportunities, aid agencies say.

Provincial officials, however, are concerned that hundreds of women, children and elderly people have also been evicted.

“There are deported women whose husbands still remain in Iran,” Hamid told IRIN. “There are also deported men whose children and wives are left in Iran,” he added.

UN agencies have helped Afghan authorities set up two transition centres in Nemroz and Herat provinces where deportees receive assistance and shelter for up to 48 hours. Some also receive help to reach their final destinations inside the country, according to the UN.

Refugees and “illegal migrants”

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says there are more than 900,000 registered Afghan refugees in Iran. The government has given assurances it will not force Afghan refugees to return home, UNHCR has confirmed.

However, the large numbers of Afghans who do not have refugee status and are considered illegal are not protected by UNHCR.

Since 2002, about four million Afghans – three million from Pakistan and about 850,000 from Iran – have been repatriated to Afghanistan with UN help, according to UNHCR.

Meanwhile, at least 35 people, allegedly with valid refugee identity cards, have also been deported to Herat in the past 10 days, provincial officials said.

Salvatore Lombardo, head of UNHCR mission in Afghanistan, said the organisation was verifying these reports.

Iran has reportedly ordered all foreigners, including thousands of Afghan refugees, to leave Sistan and Baluchestan province.

AIP: Afghan official says Iran forcefully repatriating refugees

Text of report in English by private Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news agency

Herat: Iran has forcefully repatriated approximately 35 Afghan families during the past some days, an Afghan official alleged Wednesday (31 October).

The Iran government has once again started forced repatriation of Afghan refugees and during the last some days 120 members of 35 families have been forcefully repatriated to the bordering Herat Province of Afghanistan, said Shamsuddin Hamad, director of refugees in Herat.

They were forced to repatriate despite the fact that they had valid documents to live in Iran, he told Afghan Islamic Press, adding that some have left behind parents, brothers while the others wives and husbands.

He said, “We demand of the Iran government to delay this process a few months as the weather is cold here and the Afghan government does not have resources to provide necessary facilities to the repatriated families.”

The refugee director sad they had taken up the matter with Iranian consular but feared human tragedy if Iran did not stop the forced repatriation immediately.

A man who was forcefully repatriated from Iran while talking to Afghan Islamic Press said, “My family live in Iran and have valid documents but police arrested me [and I was] forcefully repatriated.”

A woman named Marhaba said she was also forcefully repatriated while her husband was still in Iran.

Iran had also reportedly forcefully repatriated large numbers of Afghan refugee which cause numerous problems for Afghan government.

[Description of Source: Peshawar Afghan Islamic Press in English -- Peshawar-based agency, staffed by Afghans. The agency used to have good contacts with Taliban leadership; however, since the fall of the Taliban regime, it now describes itself as independent and self-financing. OSC IAP20071031950074 1323 GMT 31 Oct 07]

Herat TV: ECO relations to pave way to EU-style economic alliance, FM Spanta hopes

Herat state-own television broadcast a recorded interview with Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar-Spanta in his birthplace, the district of Karokh, in Herat Province on 30 October. The minister was in the western province to visit the joint Afghan-Iranian trade exhibition.

The minister thanked the people of Herat for their hospitality and concerted efforts during the ECO conference on 17-20 October.

Asked what the impact of the ECO conference on the country’s economy might be, the minister said the main aim was to prove that Afghanistan can stand on its own two feet and regain its position in the region. “Fortunately, the international community has got this message and, during my recent visit to Britain, foreign observers also mentioned that Afghanistan was now trying to connect other countries with each other. This is the most important thing for us,” he said.

He said the second priority was regional cooperation and that they wanted to show that they considered this as highly important.

“Thirdly,” Dadfar-Spanta said, “we have been thinking about globalization and the way the world is now becoming a small village and that is why no single government, regardless of its strength and national unity, is able to play its role as an effective member of the international community [on its own]. As a result, our objective is to turn the region into a free market and to remove the customs departments of the 10 member states… My wish is that we can remove the obstacles and become like the European Union.”

The minister said many of the programmes discussed at the ECO meeting require time to be put into practice. He said preliminary discussions have been held on the construction of the railway from Iran to Herat and from Turkmenistan to Herat.

Touching on his priorities during his chairmanship of the Economic Cooperation Organization, the minister said he would be trying to establish contacts among the young generations of the member states, so that they can exchange views, experiences and learn from each other.

Joint cooperation to tackle narcotics was an important subject which he touched on at the ECO meeting, the minister said. “You are aware that all the ECO members suffer from this problem and large quantities of narcotics are grown and trafficked in our country with the involvement of the mafia. So we should work on a joint mechanism to fight drugs,” he said.

Another of his aims, the minister said, was to adjust the view the world has of Afghanistan. “People outside the country believe that Afghanistan is a country of the Taleban. That is why we are trying to show the true picture of the country and that the Afghan young generation is a modern, civilized generation with Islamic beliefs and part of the international community.”

The minister urged the young generation to serve the country and to set aside ideological and religious differences.

[Description of Source: Herat Herat Television in Dari -- state-run television. OSC IAP20071031950077 30 Oct 07]

Radio Sahar: Afghan-Iranian exhibition of products opens in Herat

Excerpt from report by Afghan female-orientated community Radio Sahar on 29 October

[Presenter] The second exhibition of Iranian products opened in Herat today. The five-day exhibition is being held conducted at the Mawlana-e Balkh Hall [near the Herat provincial government offices]. According to officials, approximately 100 Iranian and Afghan companies are taking part in this exhibition. My colleague Hamed Azad, who had a tour of the exhibition, is reporting on this:

[Correspondent] This is the second exhibition of Iranian industrial products in Herat Province over the past two years. During his inaugural speech on the first day of the exhibition, Herat Deputy Governor Mir Abdol Khaleq called on foreign companies to improve the quality of the products they export to Afghanistan. He voiced concern over the low quality of products imported to the country. At the same time, Gholam Qader Akbar, head of the Herat Chambers of Commerce, states the exhibition is providing a good opportunity for both the Iranian and Afghan companies to compete with each other in terms of quality. A number of individuals are concerned that displaying some of the Iranian products, which are identical to the ones produced by the Afghan companies, could have a negative impact on the production of Afghan companies. Mr Akbar says:

[Qader Akbar] We have the same products here, for instance drinking water and soft drinks. We have a high quality of drinking water and soft drinks approved by the Ministry of Health. As a result, the exhibition will be an opportunity in terms of a constructive competition [between the Iranian and Afghan companies] to improve their design, decoration and marketing. In this way, our factory owners and industrialists will be encouraged to produce high quality products and improve marketing.

[Correspondent] However, the investors think about the financial benefits of the exhibition. According to Esmatollah, the owner of a private company in Herat, most of the traders have difficulty in choosing and importing Iranian products, but the exhibition will be an opportunity for them to have further options.

[Esmatollah] They will be able to take a closer look at all the manufactures produced in Iran and they can examine them in terms of quality, quantity and price. This is itself a financial benefit and a good chance for the traders to have more options inside the country and get ride of confusion they have in choosing products in the Iranian markets.

[Correspondent] Anwar Shah Yusofi, an economist and head of the state-owned banks in western Afghanistan, believes that holding such exhibitions can be a good experience for the Afghan Chambers of Commerce as well as traders and investors. He states the exhibition is also of importance in terms of marketing.

[Passage omitted: official's remarks]

[Correspondent] Mr Akbar says they are holding an exhibition of the Afghan products in Mashhad, Iran, in the near future. Nevertheless, he did not add when the exhibition will be held. In addition, the Iranian companies were supposed to open a specific exhibition of their own products, but Mr Akbar says he had disagreed with the idea and asserted the Afghan companies should have a part in the exhibition.

The five-day exhibition includes 50 stalls of the Iranian companies and 50 from the Afghan companies.

[Description of Source: Herat Radio Sahar in Dari -- local independent radio station in Herat run mainly by women. IAP20071029950088 1230 GMT 29 Oct 07]

Barnett Rubin’s assessment of regional politics

Barnett Rubin assesses regional relations in the aftermath of the ECO conference in Herat.

Herat TV: Foreign Minister says no proof Iran sends arms to insurgents

October 21, 2007

Afghan Foreign Minister Dr Rangin Dadfar-Spanta has said there is no proof Iran is sending arms to insurgents in Afghanistan. Speaking at a joint news conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Dr Manuchehr Mottaki and Tajik Deputy Foreign Minister Dr Abdollah after they attended an Economic Cooperation Organization meeting in Herat, he also said Afghanistan did not want to be drawn into any disputes between Iran and the USA because it wanted good relations with both. The following is an excerpt from a recording of the news conference, broadcast by provincial state-owned Afghan Herat TV on 21 October; subheadings inserted editorially:

Current discussions in Herat

[Spanta] [Passage omitted: Current meeting continues work of earlier talks in Tajikistan.]

This afternoon, a partnership agreement will be signed among these three countries and we, the foreign ministers, have agreed to hold another meeting within three months, at which the representatives of the relevant ministries, including the ministries of foreign affairs, transport and energy, will take part in designing the outline of joint cooperation among the three countries. We are now talking about this framework in general. In addition, the experts should draw a mechanism through which our countries coordinate their activities and learn from the experience of each other in their campaign against poppy growing and drug production and trafficking.

[Passage omitted: Spanta welcomes guests]

[Mottaki] In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Good morning dear journalists. I thank the honourable Dr Spanta for his hospitality. We had a tripartite meeting among Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Esteemed Dr Abdollah, the first deputy foreign minister of Tajikistan took part in this meeting. Our objective has been to continue the discussions previously held between the three presidents in Tajikistan last year. As the honourable Dr Spanta mentioned earlier, and in view of the many shared values and interests among the three countries and at the same time the shared concerns, we emphasized cooperation between the three countries as one of the priorities of our countries. We will also hold meetings on transit and energy and will exchange experiences on our counter-narcotics efforts. In addition, in view of the shared religious and cultural beliefs, we would like to expand these relations. To that end, we are to hold discussions with the relevant departments, experts, professors, the ministry of education and cultural foundations. As a matter of fact, we have been responsible for continuing these discussions in line with our presidents’ order. We think the practical programme we have already set up will draw a brighter future for better collaboration among the three countries.

[Dr Abdollah] [Passage omitted: Thanks to Spanta for hosting Herat meeting]

Iran’s stance on West’s contacts with “extremists”

[Stanezay, Radio Liberty reporter western Afghanistan] My first question is for the Iranian foreign minister. You said yesterday that there are a number of extremist groups in contact with some European countries. Please clarify your comments. My second question is for the Afghan foreign minister. The Islamic Republic of Iran is concerned that a number of Western countries are cooperating with fanatical groups. Will this have an adverse impact on your relations with Iran?

[Manuchehr Mottaki] Yes, as I said yesterday a number of fanatical groups have established contacts with a number of European countries and this has worried us. We hope that such contacts will be stopped and I think the relevant departments will reveal more information on this subject. In short, I can say that such contacts have been established.

Afghanistan’s wish for goods ties with Iran, USA

[Dr Spanta in Pashto] It goes without saying that there are disagreements over Iran’s nuclear proliferation programme between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the West [the USA]. However, both sides share one idea, that is to continue helping Afghanistan reinforce stability and peace. Our efforts are to maintain these ties with both countries. This is our policy and we are working on it. [Spanta translates the correspondent's question and his own comments into Dari, stressing that disagreement between Iran and the USA should not affect Afghanistan's friendship with either country]

Cooperation n Persian TV channel, road links

[Iranian correspondent] My first question is about the agreement among the three presidents on establishment of a Persian TV. My second question is about route linking Iran to Central Asia via Afghanistan.

[Dr Abdollah] As regards the television, we have started work. The project naturally requires trained staff and we are now offering such training. In response to your second question, there are certain capacities and I believe they will be used for the project linking Iran to Central Asia via the Afghan soil.

[Dr Spanta] I want to add something. Since cooperation between the countries is a priority for our presidents, I should add that the construction of the ring road in Afghanistan will be completed next year. As a result, it will be possible to link the Republic of Tajikistan to the Islamic Republic of Iran via Afghanistan in the near future. By order of the president, I reiterate that we will do our best to provide all possible facilities to improve trade with Tajikistan and open its doors to the Persian Gulf.

Iranian threat against US bases in Afghanistan

[Correspondent, Sada-ye Jawan Radio - Herat] My question is for the honourable Dr Mottaki. Iranian officials have said they will target US military bases in Afghanistan if the USA invades Iran. Do you stand by this view?

[Mottaki] Well, we think America does not have the ability to levy more taxes on Americans and wage another war and conflict in the region. We do believe it is for the good of America to correct its policy and resolve the current crises in the region. Even if there is a remote possibility of war, our policy is crystal clear. We have told the Americans what we would do in that case and they are aware of the consequences.

Allegations about Iranian-made arms in Afghanistan

[Correspondent Ariana TV] Mr McNeill [NATO commander in Afghanistan] has said Iranian-made weapons and ammunition have allegedly brought into western Afghanistan. Iranian officials have rejected the claim. I want to ask Mr Spanta if the foreign military forces do not coordinate their activities with the Afghan forces or if these comments are aimed at dragging Iran into the case? You have already said there is no proof.

[Spanta] As the foreign minister of Afghanistan, I want to say that we, the Afghan Foreign Ministry, have no evidence suggesting that the Iranian government is trying to destabilize the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. You have heard this from the president, too. We do not have any proof that the Iranian government is giving weapons to the insurgents or training them. You and my brother Mottaki clearly know that I have a reputation for blunt speaking, which has even caused me harm. If there was any evidence suggestive of this, I would speak directly to Mr Mottaki.

Need for regional trade cooperation

Other countries have established common markets among themselves. Why then should we, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and Central Asian countries, create problems for each other? I believe we would do better to cooperate with each other with good will and friendship to establish a unified market in Asia and Central Asia. It is crystal clear that Afghanistan, Iran and Tajikistan will be the core and heart of this unity; otherwise we will fail to carry out our responsibility before the future generations. On the other hand, I should add that we will bluntly and frankly speak to our friends if our national interests are in danger. Right now we have no proof to blame them. So there is no reason to create tension with our friends. We yet again thank the Islamic Republic of Iran for its contributions. Two or three days ago, the Iranian ambassador to the UN, voiced support for the [Afghan] elected, legitimate government established in line with democratic principles. This is the official stance at the moment. Mr Mottaki emphasized this yesterday and what they what say is acceptable. Thank you.

[Description of Source: Herat Herat Television in Dari -- state-run television. OSC IAP20071021950074 Herat Herat Television in Dari 0640 GMT 21 Oct 07]

Fars News Agency: Iran Hopeful About Boosting Economic Exchanges With Afghanistan

October 19, 2007

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki expressed hope that trade and economic exchanges between Iran and Afghanistan would increase in future.

Mottaki made the remarks in a meeting with Afghanistan’s Energy, Water and Power Minister Ismail Khan in Herat on Friday, where the two sides reviewed latest developments in the two countries’ ties as well as projects underway in the city of Herat.

Also in the meeting, Mottaki noted the two nation’s interests, and viewed Tehran-Kabul ties as developing.

He hoped that longer strides would be taken for the boosting of the two sides’ trade exchanges, implementation of joint ventures, facilitation of the visits of traders and industry owners and materialization of economic prosperity in light of the existing potentials.

The minister also stressed Iran’s deep eagerness to implement joint ventures and assist Afghanistan with technical and engineering services.

For his part, the Afghan minister underlined Iran’s positive role in his country, particularly in promoting trade activities and reconstruction of Herat, and expressed the hope that the two countries’ exchanges would increase.

Mottaki is in Afghanistan to attend the 17th ministerial meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).

The foreign ministers of ECO’s member states are scheduled to convene in Herat to attend a meeting on October 20.

Meantime, Iranian, Afghan and Tajik foreign ministers are scheduled to attend a trilateral meeting to study regional issues and discuss economic cooperation.

The Economic Cooperation Organization which was established in 1985 in pursuit of the promotion of economic, technical and cultural cooperation among the member states has now turned into a powerful body.

The organization was founded by Iran, Turkey and Pakistan but Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan jointed the block afterwards.

[Description of Source: Tehran Fars News Agency (Internet Version-WWW) in English -- Privately-owned news agency. It began operating in mid November 2002. Its managing editor is Mehdi Faza'eli, the editor in chief of the Javan daily and a member of the managerial board of the Association of Muslim Journalists. The other members of the board of directors of the news agency, are Alizera Shemirani, of Farda newspaper, Abdollah Moqaddam and Akbar Nabavi of Resalat newspaper, the former director of Farabi Foundation Hasan Eslami-Mehr, and university professor Abolhoseyn Ruholamin. OSC IAP20071019950066 1425 GMT 19 Oct 07.]

AFP: US general implicates Iran military in Afghan weapons find

October 18, 2007

KABUL (AFP) — The top US general in Afghanistan said Thursday it was hard to believe a convoy of high-technology explosives intercepted here last month could have arrived without the knowledge of the Iranian military.

The convoy from Iran, which was stopped on September 5 in western Afghanistan, reportedly contained armour-piercing bombs likely intended for insurgents fighting Afghan and international security forces here.

General Dan McNeill, head of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), confirmed to journalists in Kabul that the convoy had contained “a number of advanced technology improvised explosive devices.”

“It is difficult for me to conceive that this convoy could have originated in Iran and come to Afghanistan without at least the knowledge of the Iran military,” he said.

McNeill has said before that the shipment clearly came from across the border with Iran but that he could not say whether the Iranian government was involved.

US and British officials have alleged for months that weapons from Iran are going to the Taliban rebels fighting the Afghan government and its international allies. Tehran has denied the allegations.