Iran Supplying Taliban

http://threatswatch.org

Iran is arming the Taliban in Afghanistan with devastating weaponry. This should not come as a surprise. Iran, through their EFP (Explosively Formed Penetrator) used as roadside bombs in Iraq, is responsible for over 10% of all US casualties in Iraq since the 2003 invasion. And that figure (10%) is not Iran’s total attribution, but from just that one weapon, the EFP. When other weapons known to have been shipped in by Iran are taken into account - such as mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, AK-47’s, ammunition, AA missiles and other explosives - the percentage increases. This must be understood.

So it is logical that, as the situation in Iraq cools and combat focus (for both al-Qaeda and the US) begins to shift to Afghanistan and Pakistan (yes, Pakistan), the Iranians who sought to kill and maim American forces in Iraq will shift their deadly wares increasingly to Afghanistan and the Taliban-al-Qaeda alliance to their south. Within that context, please take the time to read the following from the BBC.

Iranian arms
He said their favourite weapons were Iranian:

“There’s a kind of mine called the Dragon. Iran is sending it and we have got it. It’s directional and very powerful.”

The Dragon appears to be a local name for what is internationally called an Explosively Formed Penetrator.

As the commander testified, it can penetrate the armour of Humvees and even tanks.

He said it was only available to special groups and you had to have “good relations” with the Iranians to get it.

Former mujahedeen fighter Shahir - which is not his real name - said Iranian weapons commanded a premium price:

“The beauty of the Iranian-made AK47, for example, is that it can also fire grenades. It costs $200-$300 dollars more than a Kalashnikov made elsewhere.”

Shahir said there were two routes for Iranian weapons to reach the Taleban.

“There are people inside the state in Iran who donate weapons. There are also Iranian businessmen who sell them.”

Britain and America have also alleged that elements in the Iranian state are helping to fund the Taleban, but it is rare to get confirmation from the Taleban side.

The Iranian Embassy in Kabul denied the allegations, saying Tehran supported the government of Afghanistan.
Iran is our enemy. They kill us at every opportunity but prefer plausible deniability.

There is little space for US domestic political gamesmanship - such as the shameful gamesmanship surrounding the anti-Iran rally in New York. Iran does not care which party you belong to. A dead American soldier makes for their good day. That should be enough for the presidential campaigns to put politics aside and stand together - perhaps, just maybe, within the same camera lens.