Iranian-backed Taliban commander killed

[mrmouth]

There has been a lot of doubt here, that Iran has backed the Taliban in various ways. The doubt exists simply because of denomination. This shows, that as I have tried to state before; Iran is backing the Taliban.


US strike kills Iranian-backed Taliban commander in western Afghanistan By Bill RoggioJune 10, 2009 11:51 AM

The US military killed a senior Taliban commander with links to Iran's Qods Forces during an airstrike in western Afghanistan.

Mullah Mustafa and sixteen of his followers were killed in the western province of Ghor after intelligence assets, likely unmanned aerial vehicles, spotted his movement and attacked his convoy.

"Coalition forces observed Mustafa moving by vehicle from his compound. When he stopped in a remote area, he was joined by multiple militants," a press release issued by the US military stated. "After determining no civilians would be endangered, forces used precision aerial munitions to strike the group, killing Mustafa and as many as 16 other militants." Mustafa reportedly met with a group of senior Taliban commanders prior to today's airstrike.

Mustafa commanded a group of 100 Taliban fighters and was based in the mountanous district of Shahrak and conducted attacks against both Afghan and Coalition forces in the west.

The US military said Mustafa had connections to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - Qods Force, the external special operations division that is tasked with supporting the Khomeinist Islamist revolution.

Qods Force has secretly supported Taliban elements and is a known backer of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of the Hizb-e-Islami Gulbuddin faction and an ally of al Qaeda and the Taliban.

Hekmatyar is known to have sheltered in Iran and receives financial and military aid from the Qods Force. According to a Spanish military intelligence report from 2005, Hekmatyar had "total freedom" while openly living at a hotel in the Iranian capital of Tehran. Qods force provided for Hekmatyar's security while he "met daily with many unidentified individuals."

Coalition and Afghan officials have long stated that Iran has smuggled weapons into Afghanistan and supplied them to the Taliban and Hizb-e-Islami Gulbuddin. In January 2008, Afghan officials claimed they have evidence that Iran is supplying weapons to the Taliban and other groups, after an arms cache was confiscated in western Afghanistan.

Just yesterday, British intelligence officials stated that Iran continues to smuggle weapons into Afghanistan.

"That's a regular occurrence," an official told the Daily Telegraph. "It tends to be heavier weapons like mines and mortars rather than Kalashnikovs".

[Georgy Zhukov]

Maybe my knowledge on the conflict isn't large enough, but why would Iran back the shia-massacring Taliban?

[Wilder]

Maybe my knowledge on the conflict isn't large enough, but why would Iran back the shia-massacring Taliban?

Agreed. This smells fishy.

[Keravnos]

Iran is backing the Taliban.

+rep for that. Oops, can't.

Maybe my knowledge on the conflict isn't large enough, but why would Iran back the shia-massacring Taliban?

Agreed. This smells fishy.

The US military said Mustafa had connections to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - Qods Force, the external special operations division that is tasked with supporting the Khomeinist Islamist revolution.

Do you REALLY think that the spec ops of the current Iranian government would support a Taliban leader if there wasn't some sort of arrangement between them? Whether they would be massacring Shia or not this would be irrelevant to them, he would just have to get the job done. I don't know what job this would be... Ask your friendly Qods representative...

My guess...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Just yesterday, British intelligence officials stated that Iran continues to smuggle weapons into Afghanistan.

It's about control ultimately and doing whatever it takes to get control. First it would be countries next door, then "fellow minded" (HAMAS) groups in the region, then the world. Whether their own people is in dire straits or whether the people receiving the aid are a Shia killing mob matters little.

[Wilder]

+rep for that. Oops, can't.







Do you REALLY think that the spec ops of the current Iranian government would support a Taliban leader if there wasn't some sort of arrangement between them? Whether they would be massacring Shia or not this would be irrelevant to them, he would just have to get the job done. I don't know what job this would be... Ask your friendly Qods representative...

My guess...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

It's about control ultimately and doing whatever it takes to get control. First it would be countries next door, then "fellow minded" (HAMAS) groups in the region, then the world. Whether their own people is in dire straits or whether the people receiving the aid are a Shia killing mob matters little.

No, I don't think that.

I just said something is weird about this. I don't know what it is, but I'd put money on that this is not the whole story. I'm keeping my ear to the ground on this one.

[Justice and Mercy]

The Iranian strategy is to destabilize Iraq (EDIT: and Afghanistan, but Iraq is much more unpopular as a war). They don't care who does it, they just want US public opinion to be even more strongly in favor of leaving the Middle East in general.

One of the reasons for this, IMO, is that as American opinion swings against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan it's less likely America will carry out or support a strike on Iran's nuclear program; and the other reason is that the Iranians want to spread the Revolution, which is nearly impossible to do with US presence in the area. Get rid of the US, start exercising power in Iraq, and eventually push in on the peninsular somewhat-western-allied Arabs and the Israelis.

I'm just guessing, but that's the way I see it.

[Heinz Guderian]

Wouldnt it be smart of Iran to give weapons to the Taliban geopolitically? Keep the American military and population concerned with a war that doesnt involve Iran so they dont trouble Tehran?

Besides, Bush had 5 years to hit Iran, but he bottled it. The pussy.

[Justice and Mercy]

Wouldnt it be smart of Iran to give weapons to the Taliban geopolitically? Keep the American military and population concerned with a war that doesnt involve Iran so they dont trouble Tehran?

Not only that, but the worse the situations in Afghanistan and Iraq the less the American people will be willing to allow the wars to go on (including a potential attack on Iran), meaning Iraq is more open to Iranian control and the spread of the Islamic Revolution.

Besides, Bush had 5 years to hit Iran, but he bottled it. The pussy.

I personally doubt Congress would even let him. The first two wars became unpopular enough.

[Keravnos]

While I don't want to see Iran hit, I would urge the people about to vote for Ahmadinejad to realize who they are voting for.
A vote for Ahmadinejad is a vote nearer to having Iran closer and closer to a very bad fate.

[Justice and Mercy]

While I don't want to see Iran hit, I would urge the people about to vote for Ahmadinejad to realize who they are voting for.

If Iran carries forward with the nuclear program they should be hit.

They've supported anti-Israeli and anti-US terrorist groups, and I wouldn't doubt for a second they'd like to pass a nuclear weapon along to some terrorist group to blow the hell out of Tel Aviv if they thought they could get away with it.

Or they could use nuclear weapons as a shield, and more openly start supporting anti-Monarchist/anti-Western pro-Islamic revolutions throughout the Middle East.

We should give the Israelis the green light and the support they need to destroy the nuclear program (or enough of it to halt it) in Iran.

[Problem Sleuth]

If Iran carries forward with the nuclear program they should be hit.

They've supported anti-Israeli and anti-US terrorist groups, and I wouldn't doubt for a second they'd like to pass a nuclear weapon along to some terrorist group to blow the hell out of Tel Aviv if they thought they could get away with it.

If Tel Aviv was nuked, regardless of whether or not Iran was responsible, the odds are that Israel would immediately thermonuke dozens of Iranian cities out of spite. They'd have to be suicidal to do that, because if Israel goes down, it WILL take down all its Arab neighbors as well as Iran with it, even those who were entirely uninvolved.

[Keravnos]

While I don't want to see Iran hit, I would urge the people about to vote for Ahmadinejad to realize who they are voting for.
A vote for Ahmadinejad is a vote nearer to having Iran closer and closer to a very bad fate.

@Justice and Mercy, if Iran keeps on this current path pretty soon it will be left alone. This will be very bad for its people, trade and prospects for the future. Iran has a very serious inflation problem. Iran has a huge demographic increase, with people in need of work. Iran needs to respect the various minorities within its borders, to show to the whole world that Iran means Peace. Revolution export died along with Communism.

In this current pace, Iran won't need an external strike to face serious problems very soon down the road.

Like I said, Iran can't go it alone.

[Justice and Mercy]

@Justice and Mercy, if Iran keeps on this current path pretty soon it will be left alone. This will be very bad for its people, trade and prospects for the future. Iran has a very serious inflation problem. Iran has a huge demographic increase, with people in need of work. Iran needs to respect the various minorities within its borders, to show to the whole world that Iran means Peace. Revolution export died along with Communism.

In this current pace, Iran won't need an external strike to face serious problems very soon down the road.

Like I said, Iran can't go it alone.

I don't think anyone can help Iran with it's internal problems.

All that matters to the Supreme Leader and the Clerics that put him in power is the same thing that matters to Osama; the destruction of Western influence in the Middle East and the Monarchs that are generally after the money that comes from allying with the West.

[Adhamh Ashashi]

It does seem fishy. Shia hate Sunni as much as they hate America in Iran. I doubt the Taliban would be backed by Iran. It be a bit fishy.

[Keravnos]

I hope Iranians remember that no nation can stand alone in this world.

[Justice and Mercy]

I hope Iranians remember that no nation can stand alone in this world.

With nuclear weapons and public opinion against your enemies (which is a growing trend) they would be a regional power to be reckoned with, one to surpass even Turkey.

I personally believe the Russians and Iranians will find increasing solidarity and boldness in the face of a weak-willed America and Europe.

[Pious Agnost]

It does seem fishy. Shia hate Sunni as much as they hate America in Iran. I doubt the Taliban would be backed by Iran. It be a bit fishy.

Both sides will fight longer = More casualties either side = Even more of a victory

[Big Pacha]

Talibans are not Hamas and have a long past of Shi'a hatred and massacring shiites (the Hazara community). They also murdered 12 Iranian diplomats (!) during their rule. No doubt Iran (well, the present Ir. govt. ) tries to raise hell in western Agfh. but I doubt you can call this rebel leader a Taliban. He's just an Irania-backed warlord but he can't be affiliated with shiite-hating Talibans. Ashashi's right. Of course he can be a pragmastist as b_133 suggested (if I got it).

@ Keravnos & Justice: very interesting, btw I pray for Mussavi's victory, but can you open a thread about Iranian elections? Here It's OT + flood

EDIT: what a flood. The Ummah is coming! @ Great Khan: Taliban & Al Qaeda consider all other muslims as infidels, if not traitors, even ex-fellows from the egyptian Muslim Brotherhood who berried the hatchet!
Did you read (parts of) the Ayman Al Zawahiri book on that subject? Quite edifying.

[skag]

boarf ignorants are everyhere

[Big Pacha]

boarf ignorants are everyhere

yep! IMO that's another generality by western journalists, naming Taliban anybody rebelling vs. Kabul & NATO. Like they quoted Hekmatyar as a Taliban (he's not, but he's a radical too) or they named Mujaheddin every group who fought the Soviets as if It was a single thing. As you said, ignorance. And TV shortcuts.