Terror groups continue US soldiers role in region: Iran envoy to Press TV

Iran’s special representative for Afghanistan says the United States has withdrawn from Afghanistan, but has left terrorist groups such as Daesh to continue its role in the region, including in the Central Asian country.

“The Daesh and other Takfiri terrorist groups, in fact, continue the role of American soldiers in the region,” Hassan Kazemi Qomi told Press TV in Kabul on Tuesday. The official has travelled to the Afghan capital for talks with the Taliban. 

“I believe this is a real proxy war. We witnessed the same thing in Iraq and Syria. After its defeat in Iraq, the United States replaced its own forces with other groups to pursue the American goals in the region,” he added.

“We witnessed the same thing in Iraq and Syria. After its defeat in Iraq, the United States replaced its own forces with other groups to pursue the American goals in the region,” he added.

Washington, he added, had also helped transfer some of Daesh’s ringleaders to Afghanistan from Iraq and Syria to stage the same campaign there.

The increase in Daesh’s role in Afghanistan was witnessed by the increase in the outfit’s operations there, he said.

‘Israel, another proxy war fan’

Apart from the United States, which leads its regional policies through the terrorist groups, the Israeli regime too is supportive of both the outfits and their type of warfare, noted the official.

“The US and Israel support all of them (the terrorist groups), including the Daesh…The proxy war is a reality which is supported by the United States and Israel.”

‘US trying to impose its will on Afghans’

Kazemi Qomi, meanwhile, reflected on the US’s decision not to hand over the frozen assets of Afghanistan’s central bank to the Taliban government, amid Afghanistan’s serious economic woes.

The move represents the US’s “hypocrisy,” he said.

“Because they (Americans) claim to be human rights advocates. This shows the Americans are not honest,” he said, asking, “If the US were a sincere advocate of human rights, why would it block Afghanistan’s assets and money under false pretexts when the Afghan people are suffering from economic hardship?”

“Therefore, the United States uses economic means or economic pressure to impose its will on other nations.”

He admitted that the sanctions “add to people’s problems,” but dismissed assumptions that they would end up having “serious impacts” because Washington has already failed to impose its will on the Afghan nation through its vast military, political, and security tools.

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Afghanistan’s security

“Regional security depends on the security of Afghanistan,” Kazemi Qomi asserted, saying regional conferences, including the ones that have taken place in Tehran with a focus Afghanistan, have all produced a consensus on the matter.

“The conferences in Moscow, Tehran, and New Delhi, have all called for security, stability and the eradication of terrorism in Afghanistan,” he said. “Everyone should help the Afghan government maintain peace and security.”

Afghan refugees 

A stable economy and re-establishment of security would, in turn, preempt further outflux of refugees from Afghanistan, including into Iran that already hosts some four million displaced Afghans and treats them as its own citizens. 

“But receiving new refugees is a difficult task for Iran. The Islamic Republic of Iran is dealing with its own economic problems and is facing cruel sanctions,” he said. “This is clear for everyone. Iran welcomes any measure which stops the overflow of a new wave of refugees to its borders.”

‘Iran optimistic about Afghanistan’s future’

Despite the “imported” terrorism and the economic woes facing Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic holds a sanguine view about Afghanistan’s future, the representative said.

“I think we can be optimistic about the determination of the Afghan people. We can be optimistic that they are capable of rebuilding their country.” 

He also said Afghanistan’s current officials were pushing for formation of an all-inclusive government.

The official has travelled to the Afghan capital for talks with the Taliban onthe issue of the bilateral ties. 

Having met with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the group’s deputy PM, Kazemi Qomi described the talks as “fruitful and constructive.”

Iran and Afghanistan enjoy historic and longstanding relations, he told the Afghan official, asserting that the Islamic Republic would “under no circumstances” leave the Afghan people on their own.

The Afghan official, for his part, considered the visit to be an “important” opportunity for Afghanistan, laid emphasis on “establishment of good relations” between the neighbors, and expressed gratitude towards Tehran for hosting the Afghan refugees.

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