DATE=9/5/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-238196
TITLE=AFGHAN / IRAN / L-O
BYLINE=ALI ZAIDI
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: TALEBAN OFFICIALS SAY THEY HAVE HAVE POSITIONED THOUSANDS
OF FIGHTERS ON THE BORDER WITH IRAN IN ANTICIPATION OF AN IRANIAN
ATTACK. THE PREPARATIONS COME IN THE WAKE OF A LARGE-SCALE
MILITARY EXERCISE BY IRAN ON ITS NORTHEASTERN BORDER. ALI ZAIDI
REPORTS FROM ISLAMABAD.
TEXT: THE TALEBAN SAYS A FEW THOUSAND AFGHAN OPPOSITION FIGHTERS
HAVE AMASSED ACROSS THE BORDER IN IRAN IN PREPARATION FOR AN
ATTACK ON THE AFGHAN PROVINCES OF NIMROZ AND HERAT.
THE AFGHAN ISLAMIC PRESS (A-I-P) REPORTS TALEBAN OFFICIALS
BELIEVE IRAN WILL AID THIS ASSAULT WITH ITS ARMED FORCES AND
FIGHTER AIRCRAFT. EARLIER A "WASHINGTON POST" REPORT QUOTED
AMERICAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS SAYING AN IRANIAN ATTACK ON
AFGHANISTAN IS "IMMINENT."
SEVENTY THOUSAND IRANIAN TROOPS CONDUCTED LARGE-SCALE MILITARY
EXERCISES NEAR THE AFGHAN BORDER THIS WEEK, WHICH WERE MEANT TO
SEND A SIGNAL TO THE TALEBAN AUTHORITIES.
A-I-P QUOTES A TALEBAN SPOKESMAN SAYING TALEBAN AUTHORITIES HAVE
SENT EIGHT THOUSAND OF THEIR OWN FIGHTERS TO REINFORCE DEFENSES
ON THE BORDER. REPORTS ALSO SAY THE TALEBAN ARE ARMING CIVILIANS
IN THE NIMROZ AND HERAT PROVINCES TO PREPARE FOR A POSSIBLE
INVASION.
TENSIONS BETWEEN TEHRAN AND KABUL HAVE WORSENED SINCE THE TALEBAN
CAPTURED MOST NORTHERN AFGHAN PROVINCES FROM ITS OPPONENTS, WHO
ARE BACKED BY IRAN.
IRAN SAYS THE TALEBAN MUST ACCOUNT FOR 11 IRANIAN DIPLOMATS AND A
JOURNALIST IT SAYS WERE CAPTURED WHEN THE TALEBAN TOOK CONTROL OF
THE NORTHERN AFGHAN CITY, MAZAR-E-SHARIF. AN AMNESTY
INTERNATIONAL REPORT QUOTES EYEWITNESSES SAYING THE MISSING
DIPLOMATS WERE KILLED BY THE TALEBAN AND BURIED IN MASS GRAVES.
// OPT // TALEBAN AUTHORITIES SAY THEY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE
WHEREABOUTS OF THE DIPLOMATS AND HAVE ANGRILY DENOUNCED THE
AMNESTY REPORT AS PROPAGANDA BY THEIR OPPONENTS. // END OPT //
REGIONAL EXPERT AHMED RASHID SAYS -- ALTHOUGH IRAN MAY NOT,
ITSELF, ATTACK AFGHANISTAN -- THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF AFGHAN
REFUGEES IN IRAN WHO ARE SYMPATHETIC TO THE ANTI-TALEBAN
OPPOSITION.
MR. RASHID SAYS THERE IS TREMENDOUS DOMESTIC PRESSURE IN
MOSTLY-SHIITE IRAN FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO MOVE AGAINST THE
HARDLINE SUNNI TALEBAN. SUNNIS HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF MASSACRING
SHIITE MINORITY OPPONENTS IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN.
// RASHID ACTUALITY //
IRAN IS NOT GOING TO ALLOW THE TALEBAN TO CONSOLIDATE IN
WESTERN AFGHANISTAN. AT THE SAME TIME, THERE ARE TENS
AND THOUSANDS OF SHIA'S, HAZARA SHIA'S, INSIDE
AFGHANISTAN WHO ARE SURROUNDED ON ALL SIDES BY THE
TALEBAN, AND IRAN HAS TO APPEAR TO BE SOME KIND OF
PROTECTOR FOR THESE SHIA'S.
// END ACTUALITY //
// OPT // MR. RASHID SAYS SUCH A MOVE BY IRAN COULD LEAD TO
WORSENING OF SECTARIAN TENSIONS IN NEIGHBORING PAKISTAN, WHERE
SHIITES ARE ALSO A MINORITY. // END OPT //
PAKISTAN IS ONE OF ONLY THREE COUNTRIES THAT RECOGNIZE THE
TALEBAN GOVERNMENT, AND IS ALLEGED TO SUPPORT THE MOVEMENT,
MILITARILY. ALTHOUGH PAKISTAN HAS TRIED TO MEDIATE BETWEEN THE
TALEBAN AUTHORITIES AND IRAN OVER THE CRISIS, THE SITUATION IN
AFGHANISTAN HAS BADLY STRAINED RELATIONS BETWEEN ISLAMABAD AND
TEHRAN. (SIGNED)
NEB / AZ / WD / WD
05-Sep-98 7:35 AM EDT (1135 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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