Who's The Imperialist Now?
I. The Iranian embassy in Kabul has lodged a complaint with the Electoral Complaints Commission against Najibullah Kabuli, a private TV channel owner and candidate for parliamentary elections. The embassy accused Kabuli of insulting the Iranian government. Kabuli is the owner of a private TV channel which was closed by government on July 27 for inciting sectarian tension and threatening national unity. He has led several protests in the past against Iran, which he accuses of interfering in Afghanistan's domestic affairs.
II. Iran and Afghanistan have reached an agreement to open an international university in an effort to promote Persian language and literature.
III. Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has said Afghanistan will become a Vietnam for the US.
IV. The Imam Khomeini Relief Committee is part of Iran's larger goal of using soft power to gain influence in Afghanistan and throughout the region. An ostensible charity, it actively promotes Iran's ideological and political goals in Afghanistan. In particular, it promotes Shiism and incites anti-American sentiment.
V. Iran is engaged in an extensive covert campaign to arm, finance, train and equip Taliban insurgents, Afghan warlords allied to al-Qaida and suicide bombers.
VI. Iran has embarked on a series of ambitious projects to revive the historic Silk Road, moves aimed at expanding its regional influence and overcoming Western efforts to isolate it.
VII. Afghan President Hamid Karzai will pay an official visit to Iran to attend a tripartite summit, Afghan presidential spokesman Waheed Omar said on Tuesday. Without giving more details, he said that a high ranking delegation will also accompany the president in his tour to Iran.
II. Iran and Afghanistan have reached an agreement to open an international university in an effort to promote Persian language and literature.III. Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has said Afghanistan will become a Vietnam for the US.
IV. The Imam Khomeini Relief Committee is part of Iran's larger goal of using soft power to gain influence in Afghanistan and throughout the region. An ostensible charity, it actively promotes Iran's ideological and political goals in Afghanistan. In particular, it promotes Shiism and incites anti-American sentiment.
V. Iran is engaged in an extensive covert campaign to arm, finance, train and equip Taliban insurgents, Afghan warlords allied to al-Qaida and suicide bombers.
VI. Iran has embarked on a series of ambitious projects to revive the historic Silk Road, moves aimed at expanding its regional influence and overcoming Western efforts to isolate it.
VII. Afghan President Hamid Karzai will pay an official visit to Iran to attend a tripartite summit, Afghan presidential spokesman Waheed Omar said on Tuesday. Without giving more details, he said that a high ranking delegation will also accompany the president in his tour to Iran.
posted by Terry Glavin at 9:52 AM
3 Comments:
Well put. The only countries that are capable of sustaining imperial policies in Afghanistan are its neighbors. The national interests of NATO allies in Afghanistan lie in a policy of Afghan anti-imperialism to counter these threats. Long live NATO's anti-imperialism!
(VI) is even more interesting when you put it together with China's international infrastructure ambitions.
I think that these should be positive for Afghanistan in the long term, but only if Afghanistan's legal and democratic structures grow strong enough so the govt. doesn't become a regime sustained by rich neighbors and therefore not reliant on popular support.
As for Iran, international connections can work both ways - they give more hope than North Korea's deliberate isolation for example.
"I think that these should be positive for Afghanistan in the long term. . ."
Agree wholeheartedly, and would go further: It would be grand to see, at the minimum, a democratic trade zone uniting the entire Dari-Farsi-Tajik realm. My only complaint is that right now, that grand scheme is a function of Khomeinist expansion, domination and subversion. Byt one day, it will be a great thing, for Iranians, not least, as well as the rest of us.
I wonder if the anti-imperialist Left will complain about Iran's influence peddling
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