DATE=9/1/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-237977
TITLE=AFGHAN IRAN
BYLINE=SARAH HORNER
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: IRAN HAS BEGUN MAJOR MILITARY EXERCISES NEAR ITS BORDER
WITH AFGHANISTAN. SARAH HORNER REPORTS THE TALEBAN -- WHO
CONTROL MOST OF AFGHANISTAN -- HAVE WARNED IRAN AGAINST
INTERFERING IN AFGHAN AFFAIRS.
TEXT: AN IRANIAN PRESS OFFICIAL TELLS V-O-A IT IS NATURAL FOR
EVERY ARMY TO CONDUCT MILITARY EXERCISES. THE OFFICIAL DENIED
ANY LINK BETWEEN THE EXERCISES AND THE CURRENT BAD RELATIONS
BETWEEN SHI'ITE IRAN AND AFGHANISTAN'S SUNNI MUSLIM TALEBAN.
THE OFFICIAL -- AT IRAN'S EMBASSY IN THE PAKISTANI CAPITAL,
ISLAMABAD -- SAYS THE MANEUVERS -- CALLED ASHOURA THREE -- BEGAN
IN EASTERN IRAN TUESDAY MORNING AND ARE EXPECTED TO LAST THREE TO
FOUR DAYS.
ASHOURA IS THE DAY IN THE ISLAMIC MONTH OF MUHARRAM, WHEN SHI'ITE
MUSLIMS MARCH AND BEAT THEMSELVES TO MOURN THE KILLING OF THE
PROPHET MOHAMMED'S GRANDSON.
NEWS AGENCIES IN TEHERAN REPORT THE EXERCISES -- THE LARGEST HELD
THIS YEAR -- INVOLVE 70,000 SOLDIERS FROM THE ELITE REVOLUTIONARY
GUARDS. THE AGENCIES QUOTE IRANIAN STATE TELEVISION SAYING THE
AIR AND GROUND WAR GAMES -- TESTING RECENTLY ACQUIRED MODERN
WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT -- ARE COVERING A WIDE AREA IN THE DISTRICT
OF TORBAT-I-JAM, 60 KILOMETERS FROM THE AFGHAN BORDER.
THE NEWS AGENCIES QUOTE REVOLUTIONARY GUARDS COMMANDER,
MAJOR-GENERAL YAHYA RAHIM SAFAVI, AS SAYING THE MANEUVERS ARE NOT
UNRELATED TO RECENT AFGHAN AFFAIRS. HE SAYS THE EXERCISES ARE
THE FIRST HELD NEAR THE AFGHAN BORDER SINCE IRAN'S ISLAMIC
REVOLUTION IN 1979.
THE AFGHAN ISLAMIC PRESS REPORTS THE SPOKESMAN FOR TALEBAN LEADER
MULLAH MOHAMMED OMAR SAYS THAT IF IRAN'S MANEUVERS INTERFERE IN
AFGHAN AFFAIRS THEN THE TALEBAN HAVE THE FORCES IN THE AREA TO
DEFEND AFGHANISTAN. BUT THE SPOKESMAN, WAKIL AHMED, SAYS THE
TALEBAN WANT TO HAVE GOOD RELATIONS WITH ALL ITS NEIGHBORS.
TEHRAN HAS BEEN CRITICAL OF THE TALEBAN SINCE THEY APPEARED IN
NEIGHBORING AFGHANISTAN FOUR YEARS AGO. RELATIONS HAVE BECOME
WORSE IN RECENT WEEKS AS THE TALEBAN MADE RAPID ADVANCES IN THE
NORTHERN THIRD OF AFGHANISTAN PREVIOUSLY HELD BY THE NORTHERN
ALLIANCE. TALEBAN LEADERS ACCUSE IRAN OF SUPPORTING THE
ALLIANCE, WHICH IN TURN ACCUSES PAKISTAN OF SUPPORTING THE
TALEBAN.
DURING A TALEBAN ATTACK ON THE NORTHERN AFGHAN CITY OF
MAZAR-I-SHARIF IN EARLY AUGUST, THE TALEBAN ARRESTED 35 IRANIAN
TRUCK DRIVERS. IRAN SAYS THE TALEBAN ALSO CAPTURED 10 IRANIAN
DIPLOMATS AND A JOURNALIST FROM THE IRANIAN CONSULATE IN
MAZAR-I-SHARIF.
TALEBAN OFFICIALS HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED HOLDING THE DRIVERS, BUT HAVE
DENIED HOLDING THE DIPLOMATS AND THE JOURNALIST. IRAN HAS MADE
STRONG STATEMENTS DEMANDING THEIR RELEASE. THE AFGHAN ISLAMIC
PRESS NEWS AGENCY SAYS TALEBAN OFFICIALS HAVE ASKED THE UNITED
NATIONS TO MEDIATE ON THE ISSUE. (SIGNED)
NEB/SLH/LTD/KL
01-Sep-98 9:52 AM EDT (1352 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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