DATE=9/14/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-238633
TITLE=AFGHAN IRAN (L)
BYLINE=SARAH HORNER
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE BODIES OF SEVEN IRANIAN DIPLOMATS HAVE BEEN HANDED
OVER TO IRAN BY TALEBAN AUTHORITIES IN AFGHANISTAN. SARAH HORNER
REPORTS THE REPATRIATION OF THE BODIES COMES AS TENSION BETWEEN
IRAN AND AFGHANISTAN CONTINUES TO RISE.
TEXT: THE BODIES OF THE SEVEN IRANIANS WERE GIVEN TO GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS WHO FLEW FROM IRAN TO AFGHANISTAN ON AN INTERNATIONAL
RED CROSS PLANE.
LAST THURSDAY, TALEBAN OFFICIALS SAID THEY HAD FOUND THE BODIES
OF NINE DIPLOMATS. THE OFFICIALS SAID THE IRANIANS HAD BEEN
KILLED BY RENEGADE TALEBAN SOLDIERS.
TWO OTHER DIPLOMATS AND AN IRANIAN JOURNALIST REMAIN UNACCOUNTED
FOR, ALTHOUGH THE JOURNALIST'S EMPLOYER, THE STATE AGENCY IRNA,
HAS SAID ITS REPORTER IS DEAD.
THE HEAD OF THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS OFFICE IN ISLAMABAD,
OLIVIER DURR, TELLS V-O-A THE RED CROSS ORGANIZED THE
REPATRIATION AFTER REQUESTS FROM IRANIAN AND TALEBAN AUTHORITIES.
// DURR ACT //
WE TOOK WITH US FOUR IRANIAN OFFICIALS, THAT IS TWO FROM
THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TWO FORENSIC SPECIALISTS. WE
FLEW THEM THEM MESHAD, IN IRAN, TO MAZAR-E-SHARIF IN
NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN...SEVEN BODIES WERE TAKEN ON BOARD
AND FLOWN BACK.
// END ACT //
MR. DURR SAYS HE DOES NOT KNOW WHY THE TWO OTHER BODIES FOUND
LAST WEEK DID NOT GO ON THE FLIGHT. THE TALEBAN ARE HOPING THE
REPATRIATION WILL DEFUSE GROWING TENSION BETWEEN THEM AND IRAN
FOLLOWING THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THE DIPLOMATS WERE DEAD.
IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER, AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENAI WARNED (MONDAY) OF
WHAT HE CALLED A HUGE THREAT OF WAR IN THE REGION BECAUSE OF
AFGHANISTAN, BUT HE SAYS HE IS DOING HIS BEST TO PREVENT IT.
IRAN HAS ACCUSED PAKISTAN, ONE OF THREE COUNTRIES RECOGNIZING
TALEBAN RULE IN AFGHANISTAN, OF ACTIVELY SUPPORTING THE TALEBAN.
TALEBAN OFFICIALS ACCUSE IRAN OF SUPPORTING THEIR OPPOSITION.
IRAN HAS PUT 200-THOUSAND TROOPS ON ITS BORDER WITH AFGHANISTAN,
PROMPTING REGIONAL CONCERN OF A MILITARY MOVE BY IRAN TO AVENGE
THE DEATH OF ITS DIPLOMATS.
// OPT // AYATOLLAH KHAMENAI ALSO SAYS TALEBAN TROOPS ARE
COMMITTING ATROCITIES AGAINST IRAN'S RELIGIOUS BRETHREN, THE
SHI'ITE POPULATION IN THE CENTRAL AFGHAN PROVINCE OF BAMIYAN,
AFTER CAPTURING THE REGION SUNDAY. THE AYATOLLAH'S STATEMENT
FOLLOWS REPORTS OF THE MASSACRE OF SHI'ITE CIVILIANS BY THE SUNNI
MUSLIM TALEBAN IN MAZAR-E-SHARIF LAST MONTH.
TALEBAN SPOKESMAN WAKIL AHMAD TELLS THE AFGHAN ISLAMIC PRESS
(A-I-P) THE CLAIMS MADE BY IRAN ARE BASELESS. MR AHMAD SAYS
TALEBAN LEADER MULLAH MOHAMMED OMAR HAS ORDERED BAMIYAN'S
RESIDENTS BE WELL TREATED. MR AHMAD HAS DENIED TALEBAN TROOPS
KILLED CIVILIANS IN MAZAR-I-SHARIF. // END OPT //
MEANWHILE, TALEBAN OFFICIALS HAVE ASSURED THE SAFETY OF THE
ANCIENT GIANT BUDDHAS OF BAMIYAN, WHICH ARE CARVED INTO ISOLATED
MOUNTAINS NEAR THE CITY. THERE ARE FEARS THEY MAY BE DESTROYED,
BECAUSE HARD-LINE TALEBAN TROOPS HAVE THREATENED TO BLOW UP THE
BUDDHAS BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THE SCULPTURES ARE REPRESENTATIONS
OF IDOL-WORSHIPPING.
AN OFFICIAL FROM THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF AFGHAN
CULTURAL HERITAGE TELLS V-O-A THE SOCIETY HOPES TALEBAN
AUTHORITIES WILL HONOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE BUDDHAS'
PRESERVATION. THE OFFICIAL SAYS SHE HOPES TALEBAN SOLDIERS WILL
RECOGNIZE THE 14-HUNDRED-YEAR-OLD BUDDHAS AS BEING PART OF THE
WORLD'S HERITAGE. (SIGNED)
NEB/SLH/TMD/RAE
14-Sep-98 12:52 PM EDT (1652 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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