Iran reportedly assisting Taliban to defeat ISIL in Afghanistan

Above: DIO PKM T-80 machine gun, a type possibly supplied to Taliban from Iran  [photo: MINDEX]

According to International Business Times, dated 12JUN15:

Fears over the rise of the Islamic State group in Afghanistan are spawning some unlikely alliances in the region. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, which cited Afghan and U.S. officials, Iran -- a Shiite powerhouse currently engaged in proxy and direct wars with several Sunni states and groups -- is now providing weapons, ammunition and funds to the Taliban.

“Iran supplies us with whatever we need,” a Taliban commander named Abdullah told the Journal, claiming that he was approached by an Iranian intelligence official during his detention in the country. “He asked me how much money I made, and that he would double my salary if I went to work for them [Iranians] in Afghanistan.”

Abdullah claimed that the Taliban were receiving weapons such as 82mm mortars, light machine guns, AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and materials for making roadside bombs from Iran. These weapons are allegedly shipped into Afghanistan through the common border between Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Journal reported. Toward this end, the drawdown of U.S. troops from Afghanistan has also helped smugglers, who can now cross the porous border undetected.

Shia-majority Iran and the Sunni militant group Taliban have long been foes and almost came to a full-blown war in 1998 when Iran deployed more than 70,000 troops along the Afghan border in response to the killing of its diplomats. The Iranian officials were allegedly killed by the Taliban, which was then in complete control of the Afghan government. A full-scale conflict in the region was prevented only after the United Nations intervened.

However, recent reports have hinted at the formation of an alliance between the two ideological foes, spurred by the rise of a common enemy in eastern Afghanistan.

COMMENTARY: And so, the military alliances have come full circle. Where, during the1980's the United States supported the Mujahideen (later morphed into Taliban) against USSR, now Iran is reportedly supporting the Taliban against ISIL.

That Iran could put the past behind it and pragmatically assist a former foe to defeat ISIL is potentially instructive, should the reported effort achieve the defeat of ISIL in Afghanistan.

Beyond the immediate, reported support of this force against ISIL, such assistance-- if accurate-- might also serve to provide Iran with a means of influence upon two sides of the current Afgan conflict, that is the Afghan central government (with which Iran has formal relations) as well as the Taliban. In the long run this positioning might potentially render service towards conflict resolution in that enduring war. Of course, such would not be the case were such Iranian arms supplied to the Taliban be turned against the Afghan central government.

Below are additional examples of Iranian arms identified in the report as having been provided to the Taliban:

DIO HM-10H 82 mm infantry mortar  [photo: DIO]

DIO RPG-7 type rocket-propelled grenade launchers  [photo: DIO]

DIO KL-7 (Type 56, AKM) types: top KLS, bottom KLF black  [photo: DIO]

Iran Confirms Talks with Taliban

Esmail Kowsari, a member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, today confirmed that a Taliban delegation had visited Iran last month. The delegation was headed by Tayyeb Agha, who is in charge of the Taliban’s permanent mission to Qatar. Tayyeb Agha is a former secretary to the Taliban leader Mullah Omar.

“They expressed readiness for negotiations and traveled to Tehran for talks,” Iran’s Young Journalist Club (YJC) quoted Kowsari as saying.

“Iran welcomes those who want to resolve the issue via dialogue and negotiate with them to solve the regional problems,” Kowsari added. (YJC/Trend, 7 June)

Earlier, Iran’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham had said the ministry was not informed about the visit.

File photo: A 2001 photo of Tayyeb Agha, seated at center, during a press conference in Spinbaldal, Afghanistan. (The New York Times)

Abdullah and Ghani Will Contest Runoff Election

Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani, the two remaining candidates for president of Afghanistan, said today they have accepted the final results of the first round of voting, and vowed to campaign hard to win the election in a runoff scheduled for 14 June.

The Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan said the front-runner in the race, Abdullah Abdullah, won 45 percent of the vote in the first round, with Ashraf Ghani second at 31.6 percent; they will contest the runoff. Karzai’s handpicked candidate Zalmay Rassoul, his foreign minister, failed badly; receiving only 11% of the vote.

Both remaining candidates have said they will sign the bilateral security agreement (BSA) with the United States. The agreement was negotiated last year and approved by a Loya Jirga organized by Karzai, but he has refused to sign it before he leaves office.

The Iranians have strongly supported Abdullah’s candidacy despite his commitment to sign the BSA. Ghani will use the Iranian support against Abdullah, arguing that the support will make Abdullah beholden to Iranian interests.

File photo: Abdullah Abdullah (l) and Ashraf Ghani (AFP)

Rouhani to Visit Afghanistan for Norouz Celebration

Afghan Presidential Election Overshadowing All Events

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will visit Afghanistan on Thursday to participate in celebrations of Norouz, the Iranian New Year. Heads of state and senior officials of other countries that celebrate Norouz will also take part in the ceremonies in Kabul.  

Rouhani will arrive in Kabul a week before Afghans go to the polls to elect a new president and new parliament. Since the fall of the Taliban, Hamid Karzai has ruled the country continuously and at times erratically, and now has to relinquish power. The Iranians are believed to be supporting Abdullah Abdullah’s candidacy, although they maintain relations at varying degrees with other top contenders. 

Four candidates have emerged as leading the field, with the April 5 election expected to go to the second round between the top two vote getters. Zalmay Rassoul, the former foreign minister, is said to have the active support of Karzai and his circle of close advisors. Then there is the Mujahedeen ticket of Sayyaf and Ismail Khan, which offers the best chance for fighting the Taliban after the drawdown of U.S. forces at the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Abdullah lost a powerful supporter when Vice President Fahim passed away last week, but still is running a strong campaign, and could reach the second round because of the split in Pashtun votes, going to different candidates. And of course it's Ashraf Ghani, the eternal political advisor to Western officials visiting Kabul, who is also expected to finish strong.  

File photo: Kabul (excellentworlds.com)

Karzai in Tehran

Afghan President Hamid Karzai arrived in Tehran today for a series of meetings with senior Iranian officials. The Iranians are pushing Karzai to continue his refusal to sign the bilateral security pact with the U.S.

A Karzai-appointed Loya Jirga last month approved the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) to allow and regulate the presence of some U.S. troops in Afghanistan after the drawdown of U.S. and NATO forces at the end of 2014, but Karzai’s decision not to sign the accord could force the U.S. to exercise the so-called “Zero Option,” a total withdrawal from the country in one year. The Taliban also favor the Zero Option.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani tweeted today about close Iran-Afghan ties after meeting with Karzai at Saadabad Palace in Tehran.

“Iran and Afghanistan enjoy fraternal ties. Welfare and security of Afghan people will increase regional co-operation and development,” tweeted Rouhani.  ‪(Twitter/@hassanRouhani, 8 December)

Photo credit: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani greeting Afghan President Hamid Karzai (foreground) at Saadabad Palace in Tehran. 8 December 2013. (Twitter/@HassanRouhani)

Afghan President to Visit Iran on Sunday - UPDATE

Amid Iran’s Call for ‘Zero Option’

 

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is to visit Iran on Sunday. The Afghan-U.S. Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), which lays out the rules for U.S. troops to operate in the country after 2014, is expected to top the agenda during meetings between Karzai and senior Iranian officials.

Karzai is refusing to sign the BSA, even though a Loya Jirga appointed by him approved the pact last month. On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel arrived in Kabul amid disagreement over whether he would even meet the Afghan president in the face of the security pact row. A meeting is reportedly set for late Saturday.

Without the BSA, The United States and its NATO allies will have to exercise the so-called “Zero Option,” meaning no troops left behind at the end of 2014, pretty much like what happened in Iraq. Meanwhile, the Iranian government has been strongly pushing for the Zero Option.

“Iran does not see the signing and ratifying of this security pact to be beneficial for the long-term interests of the people and government of Afghanistan,” said Iranian foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham. (AFP, 7 December)

UPDATE: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told reporters in Kabul that he has received assurances from Afghan Defense Minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi that “the BSA would be signed in a timely manner.” (Reuters, 7 December)

File photo: Afghan President Hamid Karzai (left) and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Bishkek, September 13, 2013. (Vyacheslav Oseledko/AFP)

Iran Hosts Afghan Taliban Delegation

First Official Visit to Islamic Republic

Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency reported today that Tehran has hosted an Afghan Taliban delegation. The Taliban had come from Doha, Qatar, where they have recently opened a representative office. Fars said the delegation held talks with Iranian intelligence officials, without disclosing any details. This is the first time that an official Taliban delegation visits the Islamic Republic.

The Associated Press reporting on the visit said it signals Iran could be seeking the role of a regional mediator between the Taliban and Karzai’s government. (AP, 1 June)

File photo: Taliban officials (Press TV)

Afghanistan Imposes Currency Curb at Iran Border

Afghanistan has imposed a cap on U.S. dollar flows across the border with Iran amid a collapse in Iranian rial. The provincial authorities in Herat, close to the Islam Qala border with Iran, imposed a limit of $1,000 the amount travelers can take out of Afghanistan.

“We have tightened security in the border in the wake of rial falls and many complaints that Iranian currency is flowing in and dollars moving out,” said Brig. Gen. Sher Ahmad Maladani, commander of Afghan Border Police in Herat.  Gen. Maladani said border police had already seized a suitcase containing $180,000 from an individual crossing into Iran. (Reuters, 4 October)