Substantial Taliban and Bin Laden forces may be now based in Iran. It is in Iran's interests to maintain instability in Afghanistan. A stable Afghanistan may mean an oil distribution network through Afghanistan to Pakistan. This would relatively diminish the commercial and political power of Iran. This was a large reason as to why Iran backed the Northern Alliance against the Taliban. The aim was to support the enemy of the Taliban to hinder the establishment of national stability. The Taliban state, it must be remembered, was increasing stability in Afghanistan in a way that no other force had for some time. Russia supported the Taliban for the same reasons as the Iranian government.
Given this it may be that much if not most of the forces of the Taliban have withdrawn in tact to Iran. The so called defence of Kabul and Kandahar may have been a ploy to fool Washington. Mullah Omar may have been well gone when the broadcast that appeared to come from him was made.His claim that he would fight to the death was again meant to fool Rumsfeld and his gang. It may have been meant to fool. Some of the forces that continued to put up resistance may have volunteered such action in an effort to fool the enemy for as long as possible. The trucks that were running up and down under cover of darkness may have deliberately engaged in this activity to give the impression that forces were bigger. The Taliban needed time to withdraw men and material in an organised way. The various stories may have been largely all part of a plan to deceive the enemy. The various Bin Laden videos may have been designed to give the impression that Bin Laden was located in Tora Bora or some cave complex while he was comfortably residing in Iran. His miserable image on the last video may have been meant to suggest that he was holed up in some miserable cave. The alleged hatred between the Taliban and Iran was said by silly bourgeois journalists to be based on a hatred between Shiite and Sunni Muslims. The bitterness was based, rather, on more political conditions. The Taliban, pragmatic enough when it suited them, were hostile to Iran because they sought to undermine its authority. Iran was opposed to them, not because they were Sunni,but because they represented stability --a threat to Iranian interests. Now in the new situation the political configuration has changed. Furthermore concerning Mullah Omar, the Taliban and Bin Laden the last place many would have thought of as their sanctuary is Iran. Musharraf and others may have a vested interest in concealing their location in Iran --recall his visit to Iran.This may be why he has engaged in what would seem to be disinformation concerning Bin Laden's whereabouts. The abiding hostility to Washington must not be forgotten. There is popular support for this among the Iranian masses. This fact would created a sympathetic link with Taliban forces under attack from the Great Satan. Regards Karl Carlile (Communist Global Group) Be free to join our communism mailing list at http://homepage.eircom.net/~kampf/ Regards Karl Carlile (Communist Global Group) Be free to join our communism mailing list at http://homepage.eircom.net/~kampf/
