Gates Says Arms Go to Taliban, but Iran’s Role Is Not Certain - New York Times

Gates Says Arms Go to Taliban, but Iran’s Role Is Not Certain - New York Times: "KABUL, Afghanistan, June 4 — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Monday that Iranian weapons were being smuggled into Afghanistan and into the hands of Taliban fighters, but that it was unclear whether Iran’s government was behind the arms shipments.

But President Hamid Karzai, standing next to Mr. Gates after the two met at the presidential palace here, seemed little concerned about Iranian meddling in his country. He said relations between Iran and Afghanistan had “never been as friendly as they are today.”

Mr. Gates’s comments about the arms shipments echoed those made by top military commanders in recent weeks. American intelligence officials are trying to determine what role, if any, the Iranian government has had in arming the Taliban.

“There clearly is evidence that some weapons are coming into Afghanistan destined for the Taliban,” Mr. Gates said. He also raised the possibility that drug smugglers or other criminal networks could be behind the flow of weapons.

American officials say that even as Iran pledges its support for the Karzai government, it is possible that it is trying to destabilize its neighbor to the east to tie down American forces in the country. American military officials have said they believe that a large part of the arms shipments has been material to make roadside bombs. " Read complete post here.