DATE=9/17/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-238836
TITLE=IRAN-AFGHAN-TROOPS-L
BYLINE=JIM RANDLE
DATELINE=PENTAGON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: U-S OFFICIALS SAY IRAN IS GREATLY EXAGGERATING THE
NUMBER OF TROOPS IT IS GATHERING ALONG ITS BORDER WITH
AFGHANISTAN. TEHERAN CLAIMS IT WILL SOON FIELD A FORCE OF A
QUARTER-MILLION SOLDIERS AT A TIME OF GREAT TENSION WITH THE
ISLAMIC GROUP THAT CONTROLS MOST OF AFGHANISTAN. V-O-A'S JIM
RANDLE REPORTS.
TEXT: A U-S DEFENSE OFFICIAL WITH ACCESS TO INTELLIGENCE
INFORMATION SAYS IRAN FIRST CLAIMED TO HAVE SENT 70-THOUSAND
TROOPS TO THE BORDER AREA, ALONG A MAJOR HIGHWAY LEADING INTO
AFGHANISTAN. HE SAYS THE FORCE IS REALLY BETWEEN 15 AND 25
THOUSAND SOLDIERS WITH ABOUT 100 TANKS. HE SAYS THESE UNITS ARE
PART OF IRAN'S REVOLUTIONARY GUARD, AN ORGANIZATION CREATED AFTER
IRAN'S REVOLUTION AS A COUNTER WEIGHT TO THE ARMY.
THE TROOPS FIELDED FOR THE FIRST EXERCISE ARE STAYING IN THEIR
POSITIONS WHILE A SECOND LARGER EXERCISE IS SCHEDULED FOR NEXT
WEEK. IRANIAN OFFICIALS HAVE SAID 200-THOUSAND REGULAR ARMY
TROOPS WILL PARTICIPATE IN THESE EXERCISES.
THE DEFENSE OFFICIAL, WHO ASKED NOT TO BE IDENTIFIED, SAID THE
ACTUAL NUMBER WILL FALL SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 20 THOUSAND AND 40
THOUSAND NEW TROOPS. THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SOLDIERS TO
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 40 AND 60-THOUSAND, OR ABOUT ONE QUARTER OF THE
SIZE DESCRIBED IN IRAN'S PUBLIC STATEMENTS.
THE DEFENSE OFFICIAL SAY IRAN'S ENTIRE ARMED FORCES TOTAL BETWEEN
450 AND 500-THOUSAND. HE SAYS FIELDING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
TROOPS ALONG THE AFGHAN BORDER IN THE EAST WOULD MEAN STRIPPING
MAJOR UNITS FROM THE WESTERN BORDER WITH IRAQ.
SINCE IRAN AND IRAQ FOUGHT A BITTER EIGHT YEAR LONG WAR, THE
OFFICIAL SAYS THIS IS NOT LIKELY. HE ALSO SAYS IRAN DOES NOT
APPEAR TO BE MAKING THE LOGISTICAL PREPARATIONS NEEDED TO MOVE
SUCH A HUGE FORCE FROM ONE SIDE OF THE COUNTRY TO THE AFGHAN
BORDER.
MOST OF AFGHANISTAN IS NOW CONTROLLED BY THE MUSLIM SUNNI
FUNDAMENTALIST 'TALIBAN.' MILITIA. TALIBAN FORCES RECENTLY
ENRAGED IRANIAN OFFICIALS BY KILLING NINE IRANIAN DIPLOMATS WHEN
TALIBAN FORCES TOOK OVER THE AFGHAN CITY OF MAZAR-I-SHARIF.
THE U-S DEFENSE OFFICIAL SAYS SHIA IRAN HAS BEEN PROVIDING ARMS
AND ADVICE TO THE MAINLY SHIA ANTI-TALIBAN NORTHERN ALLIANCE. .
HE SAYS THE SLAIN DIPLOMATS WERE INVOLVED IN THAT EFFORT.
THE DEFENSE OFFICIAL SAY THE TALIBAN ARE ALSO EXAGGERATING THE
SIZE OF THE FORCES THEY ARE FIELDING ALONG THEIR BORDER WITH
IRAN. HE SAYS ONE EXAMPLE IS THE ASSERTION THAT TALIBAN ARMOR
UNITS ARE 'MASSING' IN THE AREA. ANOTHER DEFENSE OFFICIAL SAYS
THE TALIBAN CAN PROBABLY FIELD A DOZEN VERY OLD SOVIET-BUILT
TANKS AGAINST THE LARGER IRANIAN FORCE, WHICH IS EQUIPPED WITH
OLD U-S BUILT TANKS.
PENTAGON OFFICIALS SAY MILITARY ACTION APPEARS UNLIKELY IN THE
NEXT FEW DAYS AS IRANIAN TROOPS MOVE TOWARD THEIR POSITIONS AND
IRANIAN LEADERS CONTINUE DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THEIR
DISPUTE WITH AFGHANISTAN'S TALIBAN RULERS.
BUT THE DEFENSE OFFICIAL SAYS FRIDAY WILL SEE FUNERALS FOR SEVEN
OF THE DEAD IRANIAN DIPLOMATS, SOMETHING THAT WILL SPARK STRONG
EMOTIONS IN TEHERAN, AND INCREASE PRESSURE TO TAKE SOME SORT OF
MILITARY ACTION. (SIGNED).
NEB/JR/WDC/PT
17-Sep-98 4:43 PM EDT (2043 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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