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DATE=9/2/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-238042
TITLE=IRAN / AFGHANISTAN (L-ONLY)
  BYLINE=RICHARD ENGEL
DATELINE=CAIRO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  TENSIONS ARE MOUNTING BETWEEN IRAN AND AFGHANISTAN AS THE
TEHRAN GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO DEMAND THAT TALEBAN FORCES HAND 
OVER NEARLY 50 IRANIANS, INCLUDING 11 DIPLOMATS,  MISSING SINCE 
LAST MONTH.  RICHARD ENGEL REPORTS FROM OUR MIDDLE EAST BUREAU 
THE DISPUTE COMES AS IRAN BEGAN LARGE-SCALE MILITARY MANEUVERS 
ALONG ITS BORDER WITH AFGHANISTAN.
TEXT:  SEVENTY-THOUSAND IRANIAN TROOPS, MORE THAN 150 TANKS, AND 
SCORES OF FIGHTER PLANES AND HELICOPTERS ATTACKED MOCK TARGETS IN
THE LARGEST SHOW OF IRANIAN MILITARY STRENGTH DURING A TIME OF 
PEACE. 
MANY ANALYSTS IN IRAN SAY THE WAR GAMES ARE AIMED AT SHOWING 
TALEBAN-LED AFGHANISTAN THE GRAVE CONSEQUENCES THAT COULD RESULT 
IF THE IRANIAN DIPLOMATS, TRUCK DRIVERS AND A JOURNALIST, WHOM 
TEHRAN BELIEVES ARE BEING HELD BY THE TALEBAN, ARE  NOT  
RELEASED.
ON WEDNESDAY, NEWSPAPERS QUOTED IRANIAN OFFICIALS AS WARNING THE 
TALEBAN OF -- IN THEIR WORDS -- A VERY HARD REACTION IF IT DOES 
NOT FREE THE 11 IRANIAN DIPLOMATS.  THE IRANIAN DAILY NEWSPAPER, 
"AL JUMHURI EL-ISLAMI," QUOTED A SENIOR MILITARY COMMANDER WHO 
SAID THE WAR GAMES ARE MEANT TO BE A WARNING TO THOSE WHO HURT 
IRANIAN INTERESTS AND SECURITY.
MEANWHILE, THE TALEBAN HAS WARNED IRAN THAT THE THREE-DAY 
MANEUVERS ARE, IN ITS WORDS, THREATENING BEHAVIOR.
IRAN ACCUSES TALEBAN FORCES OF CAPTURING ITS DIPLOMATS WHO WERE 
STATIONED IN THE AFGHANI TOWN, MAZAR E-SHERIF, WHEN THEY TOOK 
OVER THE TOWN LAST MONTH.  MAZAR E-SHERIF WAS THE HEADQUARTERS OF
AN AFGHANI FACTION SUPPORTED BY IRAN THAT IS FIGHTING THE 
TALEBAN.
THE TALEBAN HAS ACKNOWLEDGED IT IS HOLDING AROUND 30 IRANIAN 
TRUCK DRIVERS AND ON WEDNESDAY THE TALEBAN LEADER ORDERED THE 
RELEASE OF THREE IN AN APPARENT GESTURE OF GOODWILL.
BUT THE TALEBAN'S SUPREME LEADER, MULLAH MOHAMMED OMAR, SAID THE 
GROUP DOES NOT KNOW THE WHEREABOUTS OF IRAN'S MISSING DIPLOMATS 
OR THE JOURNALIST.  THE IRANIAN NEWS AGENCY, HOWEVER, HAS QUOTED 
TALEBAN SOURCES AS SAYING THE DIPLOMATS ARE BEING HELD IN 
SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN. OTHER REPORTS QUOTE TALEBAN OFFICIALS AS 
SAYING THEY ARE PROBABLY DEAD. (SIGNED) 
NEB/RHE/SB/PCF/PLM
02-Sep-98 11:57 AM EDT (1557 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.