Iran 'sending weapons to Taleban'

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News

Elements in the Iranian state are sending weapons across the border to the Taleban in Afghanistan, a BBC investigation has uncovered.

Taleban members said they had received Iranian-made arms from elements in the Iranian state and from smugglers.

The UK says its troops have intercepted arms which it believes were given by a group within the Iranian state.

The Iranian embassy in Kabul dismissed the allegations, saying Tehran supported the Afghan government.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7616429.stm

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I'm reminded of the USA supplying arms to the mujhaddeen to be used against the Russians.

[Warren Stupidity]

1. Shiite Iran not likely to be supplying weapons to sunni taleban

In fact Iran did provide support to anti-taleban forces before and during our initial invasion of afghanistan. The UK is lying about something here, and their wording is quite odd.

[dipsydoodle]

3. I agree with you entirely

More likely to be good old fashioned gun running smugglers assuming its happening at all.

BTW - its the BEEB saying it and it doesn't follow they've been fed this line by the government.

[biermeister]

6. I also agree.

[ohio2007]

15. "elements" sending weapons are drug dealers nt

[bdab1973]

20. You say that...but

Iran has other motivations beyond sectarian issues. Iranians are also Persians, and there is a pretty storied history of distrust between Arabs and Persians, yet the Iranians are funding and arming Arab Shia militias and groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas and the Jaysh Al Mahdi (Mahdi Army). Something that transcends Iran's dislike of non-Shia and non-Persians is their dislike of Western and pro-Israeli forces in their backyard. There's quite a bit of mounting evidence that Iran is in fact supplying arms, explosives, EFPs and other things to various factions in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

I work with the Iraqis here in Baghdad. And they agree that perhaps after we leave Iraq, maybe we should mind our own business...EXCEPT with one issue...Iran. All the Iraqis here are worried about Iran, they express doubt that any political process will prevent Iran from going nuclear, and as the flight engineer I talked to a few days ago said, "the Iranian government is crazy". I don't know if I'd say crazy...but they are calculating and they are posturing to become a regional power. If you ask any of the guys I'm advising, they all know what the nuke is to be used for...to nuke Israel, not the US.

I think many of the other threats in the world can be managed from a foreign diplomacy point of view, but Iran worries me.

[backscatter712]

2. I thought Iran hated the Taliban...

I smell bullshit.

[Davis_X_Machina]

4. Iran cooperated in the removal of the Taliban...

...from power in Afghanistan.

Of course, they could be doing this on an 'enemy of my enemy' basis -- and I wonder how they'd have reached that conclusion.

"Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" anyone?

[mcollier]

5. The neocon world reorg plan is by no means complete

watch for the distractions, then BOOM!!!

We've seen this movie before.

[Satyagrahi]

7. Taleban, the most trusted name in news

(as long as they accuse the Iranian government...).

Taleban members said they had received Iranian-made arms from elements in the Iranian state and from smugglers.
-snip-

The question is - are Iranian weapons only being brought across the border by smugglers for profit or are elements of the Iranian state also donating arms?
The Taleban commander and other sources in the south told me both routes were operating.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7616429.stm

[UK populist]

8. umm? Lets play devil's advocate

Imagine that Iran had invaded and occupied Mexico and Canada after a Terrorist attack which involved airplanes flown into gov't buildings in Tehran. Iran accuses the US of harboring terrorists and threatening to wipe Venezuela off the map (who happens to be Iran biggest ally in the region). Iran has just given Venezuela the ability to penetrate the US command centers and nuclear production facilities.
Iran has rallied it local allies and members CEATO (central and eastern Asia treaty organization) to sanction the US on every product they produce apart from oil and gas(because Iran can't has its people paying 48,000 Rial a gallon equal to $5).
Now under that situation would the US think of arming the Canadian and Mexican terrorists with the ability to bog the Iranian Occupation forces (who have been given the right to stay by the new hand picked gov'ts in these 2 countries) down so they would find it hard to summon the resources or the will of their own public for another invasion of which would arguably be the hardest to achieve and could possibly lead to WWWIII because Brazil and Colombia (lets pretend they are the Russia and China of the real world) who have permanent seats on the UN security) are no longer prepared to allow Iran rule the world and dominate the fossil resources around the globe.

[Dogtown]

9. "IRAN = BAD"

More jingoism posing as news.

[lakeguy]

10. i wonder if other countries report the US doing this...

US arming Georgians
US arming Pakastinis
US arming Colombians

etc.

[truth2power]

11. And on DU's homepage this a.m...U.S. sending nuclear

bunker busting bombs to Israel. So the point is what??

[libodem]

12. This isn't the first Iran is the world's

bastard calf story I've seen today. Sounds like the Chaneybush is ratcheting up the rhetoric. They only have about 50 days left to bomb, bomb, bomb, Iran. Maybe that's why they have deescalated Iraq and declared victory. On to the the next conquest. Hell, if they keep raiding the banks they'll be able to pay Blackwater to do it for them privately.

[Yavin4]

13. Planted Story Which Will Be Used By Neocon Pundits To Rally For War In Iran

Only to be completely de-bunked by thoughtful bloggers and intelligent people who will be dismissed as America haters.

Seen. This. Movie. Before.

[Roland99]

14. "which it believes"

"which it believes"

'nuff said.

[daleo]

16. Now that the U.S. government has taken over so much housing (via Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac)

It can sell off the nation's housing stock to China, to buy weapons to attack Iran.

[happyslug]

17. The Hazara are Shiite tribe, long allied with Iran, who reside in Afghanistan

Hazara live in the highest part of Afghanistan and are of Mongolian descendant as opposed to the Turkic and Iranian descent of most of the other tribes of Afghanistan. Being Shiite Moslem instead of Sunni Moslem the Hazara are the closest tribe in Afghanistan to Iran and have been for decades. The Iranians have long financed and supported them, for they oppose both the Central Government in Afghanistan AND the Taliban (Through presently appear to be allied with the Taliban). The Hazara has long received funds and weapons from Iran, to defend themselves from the Taliban as while as the Central Government in Afghanistan. If these are the recipients of the Weapons, it means nothing, this has been going on for Decades (going back to the Soviet Occupation). Apparently someone is "Shocked" that the Iranian are supporting fellow Shiites in Afghanistan against the Central Government of Afghanistan (Probably more shock of reports that the Hazara are no allied with the Taliban against the Central Government).

For more see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazara_people
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/oldworld/middle_east/hazaraculture.html
http://boozers.fortunecity.com/jerusalem/47/History/history.html
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/asia/afghanistan/map_flash.html

For more on the Tribes of Afghanistan see:
http://countrystudies.us/afghanistan/38.htm
http://www.photius.com/countries/afghanistan/society/afghanistan_society_tribes.html

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ohio2007]

19. Iranian General Killed in Clashes with Rebels

TEHRAN (FNA)- Four members of the Iranian security forces, including a general, have been killed in clashes with rebels in southeastern Iran, a police official said on Friday.
"During clashes with armed rebels on Thursday night, Brigadier General Mohammad Sar-Golzaie was killed" in Sistan-Baluchestan province, a local police commander, Salah Asgari, told FNA.

He said the general was killed during mopping up operations in the Nosratabad area northwest of the provincial capital Zahedan.

He said three other soldiers had been killed in fighting in recent days without specifying where. "Several rebels were also killed," he added.

Sistan-Baluchestan has seen a spate of attacks by terrorist group Jundullah (Soldiers of God) in recent years.

The province borders Afghanistan and Pakistan and is a major drug trafficking route.

Over three thousand Iranian police and security forces have been killed in clashes with drug traffickers in southeastern country since the 1978 Islamic Revolution.

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8706301272