Afghanistan Times
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AT Monitoring Desk-KABUL: Iranian ambassador to Kabul, Mohammad Reza Bahrami, has rejected the the claim that the government of Iran is supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan by providing them cash and weapons.
The Wall Street Journal the other day quoted Bahrami, as saying that they had not supported the Taliban and they would not support any terrorist and extremist group.
Insisting on Iran’s policy to refrain from supporting terrorist groups even if they indirectly supported Iran’s interests, Bahrami, said “The enemy of my enemy isn’t necessarily a friend.”
“Let’s not forget that terrorism is terrorism, extremism is extremism, and both have similar dangers,” he added.
The remarks come after reports suggested that the Iranian government has quietly started supporting the Taliban militants in Afghanistan by supplying weapons, ammunition and funding the group’s fighters in a bid to countermeasure against the US influence in the region and providing a counterweight to Islamic State’s move into the Taliban’s territory in the country.
A Taliban commander who receives $580 monthly salary from Iran told The Wall Street Journal “Iran supplies us with whatever we need.”
A delegation of the Afghan Taliban visited Iran recently to hold talks with the Iranian officials.
The delegation was led by Tayyeb Aqa head of the Taliban bureau in Qatar and arrived in Tehran earlier last month to hold talks on with the Iranian security officials on regional issues, particularly the developments in the Islamic world.
Lash months visit was the third visit by the Taliban delegation to Iran which was followed by two earlier meetings between the Taliban delegation and Iranian officials.
