Iran Border Guards Accused Of Drowning Dozens Of Afghans Refugees

RFE: Afghanistan Probes Reports Of Migrant Drownings By Iranian Border Guards

Afghan officials on May 3 launched an operation to locate and retrieve bodies of migrants from a river in western Herat Province after reports that Iranian border guards had thrown Afghans into the river to prevent their entry into Iran.

In a statement on May 2, the Afghan Foreign Ministry said a probe had been launched into the reports.

It was not immediately clear how many migrants had been involved in the alleged incident, which was denied by the Iranian consulate in the region.

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More News On Iran Border Guards Accused Of Drowning Dozens Of Afghans Refugees

Afghanistan investigates reports Iran guards forced migrants into river -- BBC
Afghanistan probes reports Iranian guards forced migrants into river -- Reuters
Iran Accused of Drowning Dozens Afghan Refugees -- VOA
Afghanistan Investigating Claims Migrants Were Killed by Iranian Guards -- New York Times
Iranian border guards accused of forcing Afghan migrants into Harirud river, causing some to drown -- ABC News Online
Afghanistan probes report Iran guards forced migrants into river -- Al Jazeera
Afghanistan says at least 70 migrants 'forced into river' by Iran border guards -- Middle East Eye
Iranian forces accused of throwing 57 Afghans into river, killing at least 23 of them -- Khaama Press

Afghans Are Force To Leave Iran As The Economy Worsens

IRIN: Why economic turmoil in Iran is causing big problems in Afghanistan

Afghans forced out of Iran or migrating back “for survival” find little assistance to start anew

A stumbling economy and a strict system of deportation are forcing Afghans out of Iran in droves, shrinking valuable foreign remittances and deepening the humanitarian crisis across the border in war-torn Afghanistan.

Since the beginning of the year, more than 522,000 Afghans have returned home from neighbouring Iran, according to the International Organisation for Migration. More than half were deported. It’s already the highest number of returns from Iran since 2015.

This is adding to what the UN is calling a “displacement crisis” in Afghanistan, where returnees from Iran and elsewhere are coming home to a conflict that has uprooted more than 220,000 this year, and a severe drought that has withered crops, killed livestock, and pushed at least 275,000 people to leave their homes.

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WNU Editor: Here is an easy prediction .... life is not going to be easy for these Afghans. As for Iran .... U.S. sanctions are still months away from impacting the Iranian economy, but life has already become harder for most Iranians .... Unease, anger in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, Iran’s beating heart (AP).

Top U.S. General In Afghanistan: Iran Is Arming The Taliban

Washington Free Beacon: Gen. Campbell: Iran is Arming the Taliban

Iran is providing financial and material support to the Taliban, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan said Tuesday.

“At this level, I can tell you we have some reports that Iran has provided money, weapons—mostly in the west, in the Herat area—to the Taliban to fight Daesh [Islamic State],” Gen. John Campbell said.

“So they’re supporting the Taliban right now—Iran is, with money and weapons,” Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R., N.H.) said.

Campbell agreed, saying that he did not know the exact nature or scale of Iranian support for the Taliban.

The tense alliance between Shiite Iran and the Taliban, a Sunni insurgency, dates back years. International forces interdicted Iranian arms shipments intended for Taliban groups as early as 2007.

Update: Top U.S. General: Iran’s regime is arming the Taliban -- NCRI

WNU Editor: This is actually old news .... Iran Backs Taliban With Cash and Arms (WSJ). The big question is .... what is the U.S. and Afghanistan going to do about it right now? My prediction .... nothing.

Iran And Afghanistan Agree To A Long Term Security Pact

Afghanistan Agrees On Regional Security Pact With Iran -- RT

Concerned about the presence of foreign forces in the region, Iran and Afghanistan have decided to sign a joint cooperation agreement to boost “regional security” amid American efforts to force the Afghan president to seal a security pact with Washington.

“Afghanistan agreed on a long-term friendship and cooperation pact with Iran,” President’s Karzai's spokesman Aimal Faizi said, as quoted by Reuters. “The pact will be for long-term political, security, economic and cultural cooperation, regional peace.”

Afghan President Hamid Karzai reached the deal with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran on Sunday. The joint communique issued after the talks stipulates that foreign ministers of both counties were assigned to draw up the topics of such a pact, IRNA reports

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More News On Iran And Afghanistan Agreeing To A Long Term Security Pact

Afghanistan agrees to pact with Iran, while resisting US accord -- FOX News
Afghanistan, Iran plan cooperation pact amid tensions with U.S. -- Reuters
Afghanistan agrees on long-term cooperation pact with Iran -- Khaama Press
Afghanistan signs cooperation agreement with Iran amid tensions with U.S. -- Business Standard
Afghan Leader Agrees to Talks on Closer Iran Ties -- New York Times

Elite Iranian Soldiers Hold Exercise Near Afghan Border

Iran Holds Military Exercise Near Afghan Border -- Yahoo News/Reuters

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran launched a military maneuver near its border with Afghanistan Saturday, the semi-official Fars news agency reported, days after naval exercises in the Gulf increased tensions with the West and pushed up oil prices.

Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Revolutionary Guards' ground forces, said the "Martyrs of Unity" exercises near Khvat, 60 km (40 miles) from Afghanistan, were "aimed at boosting security along the Iranian borders," Fars reported.

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More News On Iran Starting Military Exercises Near The Afghan Border

Elite Iranian troops start exercise near Afghan border -- RIA Novosti
Iran Starts Military Exercise Near Afghan Border -- Radio Free Europe
Iran holds military manoeuvre near Afghan border -- M&C
IRGC begins military drills in Iran's Khaf -- Press TV (Iran)

My Comment: This is Iran's way of trying to influence Afghan policy.

How Iran Bought Influence In The Highest Offices Of Afghanistan

Photo: Abdullah Abdullah, the opposition leader in Afghanistan, says he will run again for the Afghan presidency in 2014. (J.M. Eddins Jr./The Washington Times)

Iran’s Cash For Karzai Buys Years Of Loyalty -- Washington Times

Opposition leader explains.

Iran began delivering money to Afghan President Hamid Karzai as early as 2003, a former Afghan official says.

“It started in a sort of transparent manner when I was the foreign minister,” Abdullah Abdullah, now Afghanistan’s top opposition leader, said in an interview with editors and reporters of The Washington Times.

“So it was during [Iranian] President [Mohammed] Khatami’s time, and President Khatami mentioned it to President Karzai, that ‘from my own office, I have a budget at my discretion. If you agree with it, I would like to give some money for your office.’ So it started that way.”

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My Comment: In the end .... after the West has spent hundred of billions and are long gone .... the Iranians with their investments of a few millions will have more sway and influence in Afghanistan than we will. Does this sense .... not even close.