EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight - Afghan Leaders Eager to Reduce US-Iranian Tension

EURASIA INSIGHT

AFGHAN LEADERS EAGER TO REDUCE US-IRANIAN TENSION
Camelia Entekhabi-Fard 2/11/02

Afghanistan’s interim government is eager to help reduce tensions between two key strategic partners - the United States and Iran. A better relationship between Washington and Tehran is seen as a key to Afghanistan’s own stabilization hopes, Afghan officials say.

According to a reliable source, interim Afghan President Hamid Karzai will travel to Tehran in the coming days. He is expected to carry to Tehran a special message from US President George W. Bush for Iranian leader Mohammad Khatami, the source adds.

US-Iranian tension has risen since Bush mentioned Iran as a possible target of the campaign against terrorism. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archives]. Bush’s mention of Iran in his State of the Union address caught some Afghan leaders by surprise. They noted that within hours of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Iran’s reformist president Mohammad Khatami had condemned the action. And following the start of US strikes against Taliban and al Qaeda targets in Afghanistan, Tehran indicated that it was willing to help rescue American pilots in the event of a shoot-down. (Such a situation never actually materialized).

According to a UN diplomat who attended the Bonn conference in November, the United States and Iran were the two countries most responsible for forging the agreement that led to the interim government’s creation. The deal took days of unprecedented direct negotiation, the diplomat added.

In an interview with EurasiaNet, Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah suggested that US-Iranian tension decreases the chances of Afghanistan being able to break its vicious cycle of violence.

"Any tension in our area would have a direct effect on us, negatively impacting the stability of our country," Abdullah said. "The same way a good relationship between the US and Iran benefits us, a belligerent one between the two would be harmful for interests." [For the complete text of the interview click here].

Afghanistan and Iran are bound by close cultural links. For instance, Dari, a widely-spoken language in Afghanistan, is a derivative of Persian. Also, Iran provided refuge for about 2 million Afghans during the over two decades of warfare that began with the Soviet invasion in 1979.

Since assuming power in December, Afghanistan’s interim government has gained the goodwill of the international community and, by all appearances, of many Afghans who yearn for a return to normalcy after 22 years of civil strife. Whether or not the interim government can retain this goodwill, however, depends greatly on its ability to provide security in Afghanistan.

Karzai has traveled widely to secure international diplomatic and economic commitments for Afghan stabilization efforts. On February 11, Karzai was in the United Arab Emirates, where he attended a ceremony dedicated to the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the Gulf state and Afghanistan. Karzai also repeated calls for the deployment of more international peacekeepers in Afghanistan. [For additional information see EurasiaNet’s archives].

The interim government continues to struggle to project its authority in many regions of Afghanistan. On February 7, Karzai made his first domestic trip to the Western city of Herat, where he held talks with the region’s strongman, Ismail Khan. Karzai reportedly received a warm welcome from local residents. He also won public assurances from Khan on the warlord’s loyalty to the Kabul government. Prior to Karzai’s visit, some reports alleged that Khan was pursuing an independent political agenda, and was receiving military assistance from radical elements in Iran.

Keeping Afghanstan’s warlords in line has provided a constant challenge for Karzai’s interim government. On February 10, for example, Bacha Khan, commander of a 5,000-plus fighting force in eastern Paktia, announced that he might attack a local force that opposes his appointment as provincial governor.

Editor�s Note: Camelia Entekhabi-Fard is a freelance journalist who specializes in Afghan and Iranian affairs.

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