DATE=9/18/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-238871
TITLE=AFGHAN PAK-IRAN
BYLINE=ALI ZAIDI
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: PAKISTAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER HAS RETURNED FROM A VISIT TO
TEHRAN, WHERE HE MET IRANIAN OFFICIALS ON A MISSION TO EASE
TENSIONS OVER TEHRAN'S STANDOFF WITH THE TALEBAN. DIPLOMATIC
EFFORTS TO AVERT WAR IN THE REGION HAVE INTENSIFIED, WITH THE
UNITED NATIONS ALSO AGREEING TO INVESTIGATE REPORTS OF ATROCITIES
IN AFGHANISTAN. ALI ZAIDI REPORTS FROM ISLAMABAD.
TEXT: PAKISTAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER SARTAJ AZIZ SAYS IRAN CONTINUES
TO ACCUSE PAKISTAN OF BEING MILITARILY INVOLVED IN THE TALEBAN
WAR EFFORT, BUT HE SAYS THE CLAIM IS BASELESS.
// AZIZ ACT //
THEY FOR EXAMPLE SAID OUR PLANES WERE INVOLVED. I MEAN
THAT IS NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN CONCEAL. HAS ANYBODY EVER
ARRESTED A SINGLE SOLDIER, PAKISTANI SOLDIER? OR ANY
TANK, OR APPREHENDED... SEEN ANY AIRCRAFT? I MEAN IF
THERE WAS LARGE SCALE INVOLVEMENT THERE WOULD BE SOME
EVIDENCE BY NOW, SOME PRISONERS WOULD BE ARRESTED, BUT
THERE IS NONE.
// END ACT //
MR. AZIZ HAS RETURNED FROM A ONE-DAY VISIT TO THE IRANIAN CAPITAL
TO TRY TO DEFUSE TENSIONS BETWEEN PAKISTAN AND IRAN OVER THE
SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN.
MR. AZIZ SAYS HE TOLD THE IRANIANS NOT TO RELY ON RUMORS. HE SAYS
HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT WERE USEFUL, BUT
CAUTIONS THAT THE THREAT OF WAR BETWEEN IRAN AND AFGHANISTAN HAS
NOT BEEN ELIMINATED. IN CASE OF WAR, SAYS MR. AZIZ, PAKISTAN WILL
REMAIN NEUTRAL.
// AZIZ ACT //
ON THE BROADER ISSUES OF COURSE IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN
HOW THESE ISSUES ARE RESOLVED AND HOW IRAN PERCEIVES ITS
OWN NATIONAL STRATEGY. SO I WOULD NOT SAY THAT THE
THREAT HAS DISAPPEARED, BUT AT LEAST IT IS NOT IMMINENT
OR IT IS NOT IMMEDIATE, AND IF AT THE INTERNATIONAL
LEVEL NEXT WEEK DIFFERENT COUNTRIES DEAL WITH THESE
ISSUES IN A POSITIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE MANNER WE HOPE
THAT THE TENSION WILL REDUCE FURTHER.
// END ACT //
MR. AZIZ WAS REFERRING TO THE FIRST-EVER MINISTERIAL LEVEL
MEETING OF THE GROUP OF EIGHT COUNTRIES, SCHEDULED BY THE UNITED
NATIONS TO RUN DURING THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION IN NEW YORK
CITY.
THE EIGHT COUNTRIES COMPRISE AFGHANISTAN'S SIX NEIGHBORS ALONG
WITH RUSSIA AND THE UNITED STATES. THE MEETING HAS BEEN CALLED TO
TRY TO RESOLVE THE CRISIS BETWEEN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAN OVER THE
MURDER OF EIGHT IRANIAN DIPLOMATS AND A JOURNALIST BY TALEBAN
FIGHTERS DURING THEIR CAPTURE OF A NORTHERN AFGHAN CITY.
IRAN HAS THREATENED MILITARY ACTION AGAINST THE TALEBAN UNLESS
THE TALEBAN APOLOGIZES FOR THE KILLINGS AND EXTRADITES THE
KILLERS. IRAN SAYS THAT A QUARTER OF A MILLION IRANIAN TROOPS
ARE AMASSING FOR WAR GAMES ON THE BORDER WITH AFGHANISTAN, WHICH
ANALYSTS SEE AS PREPARATION FOR A POSSIBLE DRIVE INTO
AFGHANISTAN.
MR. AZIZ HOPES IRAN WILL ACCEPT THE TALEBAN'S WILLINGNESS TO
PUNISH THE KILLERS IN AFGHANISTAN, AND ANNOUNCED THAT TALEBAN
AUTHORITIES WOULD RELEASE FIVE IRANIAN PRISONERS SATURDAY AS A
GOODWILL GESTURE TOWARDS TEHRAN.
IRAN HAS ALSO ACCUSED THE TALEBAN OF MASSACRING THOUSANDS OF
MINORITY SHIITES IN THE NEWLY CAPTURED AREAS OF MAZAR-E-SHARIF
AND BAMIYAN, A CHARGE ALSO BACKED BY AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AND
THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES.
THE TALEBAN SAYS THESE ALLEGATIONS ARE BASELESS, AND ASKED THE
U-N TO INTERVENE. TALEBAN SUPREME LEADER MULLAH OMAR SAID FRIDAY,
WAR WOULD NOT ACHIEVE ANYTHING, BUT LASHED OUT AT AMNESTY
INTERNATIONAL AND THE U-N FOR FOCUSSING ON THE MURDER OF THE
DIPLOMATS WHILE IGNORING TALEBAN ALLEGATIONS OF ATROCITIES BY THE
IRAN-BACKED OPPOSITION.
THE UNITED NATIONS HAS AGREED TO SEND A MISSION TO ASSESS THE
SITUATION IN BAMIYAN, BUT SO FAR THERE HAS BEEN NO INDEPENDENT
CONFIRMATION OF THE REPORTS FROM MAZAR-E-SHARIF. (SIGNED)
NEB/AZ/GE
18-Sep-98 10:02 AM EDT (1402 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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