The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
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.”
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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.
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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.
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“Iran is betting on the re-emergence of the Taliban,” a Western diplomat, whose name was not revealed, told the Journal. “They are uncertain about where Afghanistan is heading right now, so they are hedging their bets.”
However, while Iran, which is already battling ISIS in Iraq and Syria, might have justifications in building closer ties with the Taliban, the move pits it directly against the United States. Iran and the U.S. are currently attempting to negotiate a nuclear deal, which, if successful, would bring billions of dollars in sanctions relief.
So Qatar funds al-Qaeda and Iran funds the Taliban. Nice allies.
Comments
Every 4 minutes and 20 seconds?
That's going to be kind of hard, but what the heck.
Or this one. Now were they just that
stupid or was Lawrence Welk really a hippie?
if it were snark, I could go along with it, but I guess
that was no snark in 1971 ?
https://www.euronews.com/
supplies of snark were limited then.
It would be like an evening in my dorm room
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Friedrich Nietzsche -
Iran is funding the Taliban
link
So Qatar funds al-Qaeda and Iran funds the Taliban. Nice allies.