Coalition and Afghan special operations teams targeted another Taliban commander linked to al Qaeda and other terror groups operating in western Afghanistan during a raid yesterday.
The combined special operations team “targeted a key foreign-fighter facilitator in Farah district … after intelligence reports indicated his recent return to Afghanistan from Iran,” the International Security Assistance Force stated in a press release. The Taliban commander, who was not named, was not reported to have been captured during the raid.
The commander “provides a conduit for foreign fighters from an array of terrorist networks, including Al Qaeda, to enter the country and fight for the Taliban,” ISAF stated. “The insurgent acts on behalf of terrorist cells to move foreign fighters into Farah and Helmand via Iran.”
Farah province is a known haven for al Qaeda and allied terror groups, and is a main transit point for foreign fighters and Iranian aid flowing into Afghanistan. The presence of al Qaeda cells has been detected in the districts of Bakwah, Balu Barak, Farah, Gulistan, and Pusht-e Rod; or five of Farah’s 11 districts, according to an investigation by The Long War Journal.
Coalition and Afghan forces have heavily targeted al Qaeda nodes in Farah province this year. Eight raids against al Qaeda-linked cells have been reported by ISAF this year. Since July, special operations teams have killed three al Qaeda-linked Taliban commanders; Mullah Aktar, Sabayer Saheb, and Mullah Janan, and captured another, who was not named.
Iran has supported the Taliban, providing weapons, money, safe haven, training, and facilities for Taliban commanders and fighters, while allowing al Qaeda operatives to move through and shelter in its territory. Qods Force, the special operations branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, has tasked the Ansar Corps, a sub-command, with aiding the Taliban and other terror groups in Afghanistan. [For more information on the Ansar Corps and Iran’s support for the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan, see LWJ report, Coalition and Afghan forces kill Taliban commander linked to Iran, al Qaeda.]
6 Comments
This article and others mentions Iran’s assistance for Al Qaeda. How do the Iranians rationalize their continued assistance to AQ in the face of continuing Al Qaeda attacks against Shia in Iraq, Pakistan and now, Yemen?
Pete-
Read the (whole) article on the last facilitator killed for an answer to your question.
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2010/11/coalition_and_afghan_1.php
Pete-
Read the last article for an answer to your question https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2010/11/coalition_and_afghan_1.php
But also realize that Iran DOESN’T “rationalize” their support for AQ. They DENY it. And fools buy it, because of the arguments you gave. The support you speak of comes from the IRGC, not the “Iranians” as a country. The IRGC doesn’t care about random Shia fatalities around the world. They have a long term strategy and outlook, and they will use any assets they can to drive us out first prior to engaging in any full scale Shia v Sunni conflict.
Stage 1 is defeat the West in its backyard. Stage 2 is assert Shia supremacy and hegemony in the Muslim world. Gotta get past Stage 1 to get to Stage 2.
your right Ranger. the funny thing is, not long ago they (iran) were at the “stage two, sunni vs shia” in afghanistan. they openly opposed the taliban an supported their rivals…
True, Bear, and that’s something I was reflecting on recently as well.
That’s why they were happy to see us hammer the Taliban in 01/02. And like any canny power, try to fill the vacuum with influence. In order to better prepare for the resumption of hostilities in the future, or perpetually expand their sphere of influence, with the same object in mind.
Because in reality, both sides (Sunni & Shia) are perpetually at “Stage 2.” But as we are currently an existential threat of a much greater magnitude than they (currently) to each other, and threaten to reset them both to Stage 0, they must find common cause.
Both are content to work together right now because both believe they’ll be in the more advantageous position in the future war between themselves after we’ve been driven out. Both sides are delusional of course, and blind.
Neither side was in a position to really “win” the war before, and one thing to keep in mind is how they jockey for future position/advantage (even though no party will ever “win” the Sunni v Shia blood feud; Sunnis have been killing Shia in Karbala for 1300 years, for instance).
This extends to Qods assassinations of certain AQ in Iraq, Afghanistan etc, and to AQ hits on certain IRGC/JAM etc. Its a game within a game.
While they’ve been forced into alliance, they both keep an eye on future hostilities.
And of course when they were at “Stage 2” before, Iran didn’t have nukes, and the US hadn’t been defeated by Islamists (which would give both parties true “free rein” to operate unconstrained). That hasn’t happened yet, but should those events transpire both sides will have gained enough appreciable momentum to begin gearing up towards a “real” Stage 2.
Given the unthinkable, that we are forced to retreat in ignominy, their resumption of “Stage 2” would feature all the typical stalemated butchery we’ve grown so accustomed to from that part of the world. Always the same old story. Unless we win.
Which, if you haven’t guessed, is going to be hard to do without changing our national “assessment” of Iran’s (and Pakistan’s) true “relationship” with the United States and the rest of the freedom loving world.
Oh and since I don’t post much, let me say that I’ve been following LWJ since its inception, and am immensely grateful for the work that Bill and the rest of the staff do. When I first saw it, it was like an answered prayer. Somebody with simple, tactical facts.
Most useful website out there, terrific work!