KABUL/PRAGUE - Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said his government does not
want its "soil to be used" in any conflict between other countries while
underscoring Kabul's friendly relations with both Iran and the United States.
In an exclusive interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Radio Free
Afghanistan, Karzai did not refer to Iran or the United States by name in
connection with potential hostilities.
But his statements come as Washington and Tehran are engaged in heated rhetoric
over Iran's nuclear activities, a recent flexing of missile might by Iran, and
persistent US accusations that Iranians
are fomenting violence in Iraq.
Moreover, in an article published in The New Yorker on July 7, Seymour Hersh
asserted that "CIA agents and regional assets" have been working with Joint
Special Operations Command forces "to direct personnel, materiel, and money
into Iran from an obscure base in western Afghanistan".
In his interview, Karzai said Afghanistan has been able to "balance its
relations with various competing powers".
"I hope that the same level of understanding continues to prevail in both
countries and Afghanistan never turns into a battleground for competing
interests of any states," Karzai said. "Afghanistan would never like its soil
to be used against another country, and Afghanistan would like to remain Iran's
good friend as a neighbor as we share a common language and religion.
Similarly, Afghanistan wholeheartedly wants to remain a friend, ally, and
partner of America because this is in Afghanistan's best interest."
He also underscored his country's good relations and "cooperation" with Iran in
the six years since a UN-backed government took over after the fall of the
Taliban regime. Karzai said Afghans are "lucky to have [had] the cooperation of
both the United States and Iran from the very beginning of the interim
government until today".
Senior US and NATO officials have repeatedly pointed to discoveries of
Iranian-made weapons bound for Taliban militants in Afghanistan, although they
have stopped short of accusing Iran's leadership of supplying weapons directly
to antigovernment fighters.
"We are happy that our brothers and neighbors in Iran recognized that a
peaceful Afghanistan - a stable Afghanistan - is good for them, and understood
the presence of the international community also to be good for Afghanistan,
and in the long-term and immediate term, good for their own security," Karzai
said in response to a question about relations with Iran. "We are very happy
and we are lucky in this regard."
Karzai praised the "great wisdom" of US policymakers and credited Washington
with having promoted constructive Afghan-Iranian relations.
"The United States has not only understood that we need to have good relations
with Iran, but the United States has encouraged good relations between
Afghanistan and Iran, and has been a factor of stability in this relationship,"
Karzai said.
Kabul chafed at Iranian authorities' threat last year to forcibly repatriate 1
million Afghan refugees in a move that could have undermined the Afghan
government's hold on power. The Iranian side made good in part on the threat,
summarily rounding up tens of thousands of Afghan refugees and dropping them at
the Afghan-Iranian border.
But Afghan officials have appeared reticent to join in any public criticism of
their Iranian neighbors.
Afghan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta said shortly after joining the
government in mid-2006 that he thought Kabul could "have a role in reducing the
tensions" between Washington and Tehran.
Karzai took a similar tack in his Radio Free Afghanistan interview, saying,
"both countries have helped us in our reconstruction - Iran to some extent
[and] the United States of America to a very great extent."
"We are constantly working on how best we can be of help to, on the one hand,
have a cooperative environment in Afghanistan between our allies and our
neighbors, and, on the other hand, be able to improve relations if we can,"
Karzai said. "And if there is an opportunity that presents itself again in this
regard we will definitely take it and use it to the advantage of our neighbors
and allies."
While Karzai avoided any hint at friction with Iran, he accused unspecified
"neighbors" of meddling in Afghanistan's affairs to impose "foreign agendas" on
the Afghan people. He touted "successes" in curbing violence but said the
country's "struggle against terrorism is not over yet".
"In some cases, our neighbors are still able to continue with their cruel
interference into Afghan affairs - though Afghanistan has once again been
recognized [as an independent country] and its flag flies as a symbol of an
independent nation," Karzai said. "But still, the interference goes on. Still,
our children are hostages to these foreign agendas and are being used against
their homeland. So these are the issues of primary concern to us, and we are
striving hard to correct it."
Officials in Kabul have repeatedly pointed a finger at Pakistan and its
intelligence community over attacks in Afghanistan that appear to originate in
Pakistan's western tribal areas.
After the Radio Free Afghanistan interview was broadcast on July 14, Karzai
backed Indian authorities' assertion of Pakistani involvement in a July 7
bombing outside the Indian Embassy in Kabul that killed more than 40 people.
The statements, in which Karzai also laid responsibility for other deadly
incidents at Islamabad's doorstep, appeared to be his most direct allegations
to date of Pakistani involvement in specific acts of violence in Afghanistan.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty : Are you satisfied with the
overall situation now in Afghanistan, and if not, why?
Hamid Karzai: I am satisfied with some developments in
Afghanistan, but I am wary of some of the problems. I am very happy that once
again Afghanistan has become a home to all of the Afghans. And Afghans of all
stripes can return and live in this home. I'm very happy that the people of
Afghanistan have created their own new constitution. And the foundations for
the new institutions have been laid.
I'm happy that roads are being built across Afghanistan. In our history, we've
never had as many roads as the number built in the last four or five years. And
many more are still being built. [We have made progress] in education and
health care. In particular, the health-care conditions for our children are
improving. We had a very high infant mortality rate. In Afghanistan, newborn
children often would die very young. But now, every year at least 85,000 new
born lives are saved - and they have a chance to grow and live a normal life.
So all of these things make me happy.
In addition, Afghanistan's flag now flies across the world and Afghanistan
participates in global forums with dignity and honor. In the past, Afghanistan
was not represented at such forums, or other people would manipulate its
representation. Afghanistan now has a national treasure, and its national
wealth is growing.
Despite all of these successes, we still haven't achieved what Afghans desire
most, which is establishing security across the country. We have had successes
against terrorism. But our struggle against terrorism is not over yet. In some
cases, our neighbors are still able to continue with their cruel interference
into Afghan affairs - though Afghanistan has once again been recognized [as an
independent country] and its flag flies as a symbol of an independent nation.
But still, the interference goes on. Still, our children are hostages to these
foreign agendas and are being used against their homeland. So these are the
issues of primary concern to us. And we are striving hard to correct it.
RFE/RL: But Mr President, as you said earlier, if foreign
interference continues, then the achievements you outlined are not sustainable.
HK: We have to move ahead. What we cannot do is to stop our
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