Iran carves out an AfPak hub

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http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MF28Ak02.html

The participation of the presidents of Pakistan and Afghanistan in the international conference on terrorism held in Tehran over the weekend becomes a major diplomatic and political victory for Iran at the present juncture of regional politics. Both Asif Ali Zardari and Hamid Karzai were received by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.

One main focus of the conference was to highlight that the United States has been using international terrorism as the pretext to intervene in Afghanistan and in the Middle East and to interfere in their internal affairs. Khamenei's message to the conference, in a nutshell, highlighted the "calculations of satanic world powers, which use terrorism in their policies and planning to achieve their illegitimate goals".

Khamenei alleged that the US finances and arms terrorist groups


in the region and, most interestingly, he singled out for reference the "crimes" by the Blackwater (Xe Services) group of "assisting terrorist groups" in Pakistan as "part of this shameful and unforgettable list of American acts of terrorism".

Expressing solidarity with the growing criticism by Islamabad and Kabul against the excesses of the US's military operations in AfPak, Khamenei added, "The deadly attacks by the American drones against defenseless families in villages and in the most deprived areas of Afghanistan have repeatedly turned weddings into mourning ceremonies." Khamenei said in a scathing attack on the US's regional policies:

With such behavior, it is a shame to claim to be leading the fight against terrorism ... From the standpoint of the leaders of the hegemonic powers , everything that threatens their illegitimate interests is viewed as terrorism. All struggles intended to defend a cause against the occupiers and interventionist forces are regarded by them as terrorism.

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1. I suppose this one will sink like a stone too. nt

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2. either people don't care -- or -- well i don't know.

it's our current policy creating this -- the creation of war.

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3. Well, if you look ten years back, and you've pay some attention, it makes it clear

just how badly our "leaders" have shit all over the floor in the Middle East. You have our buck-buddy Pakistan and our Howdy-Doody puppet Karzai sucking up with the arch-member of the Axis of Evil Iran, whom we periodically diplomatically bark, shiver, and whine at; at a conference held by the latter for the specific purpose of criticizing our Middle East war policy.

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4. well people are really crazy if they think that afghanistan isn't going to talk with, trade

and what ever else -- w/ iran.
pakistan is even more interesting because of the heavy saudi influence that exists there.

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5. True, I would not think this would please the Saudis either, or Israel, to name a couple others. nt