Friday, June 02, 2006

OOPSI ! Iran struggling with U.S.-backed insurgencies in its western border areas


NICOSIA — Iran appears frustrated over the Arab and Kurdish insurgency in the western part of the country.

Officials said Teheran has failed to quell the insurgency in both northwestern and southwestern Iran, along the Iraqi border. They said Arab and Kurdish separatists, financed by Britain and the United States, have maintained a stream of attacks against Iranian government targets in the region.

"There has been a proliferation of conspiracies," said Iranian deputy parliamentary speaker Mohammed Reza Bahonar.

[On early May 24, protests erupted in Teheran's two major universities, followed by clashes between students and police. About 40 officers were injured by stones hurled by students from Teheran University protesting the dismissal of professors.]

Bahonar said the government has lost control over the provinces along both the Iraqi and Afghan border. He said parliament could transfer security for these provinces to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

"It has been almost proven that security actions alone cannot solve the problems," Bahonar said. "There should be a combination of security and intelligence work, and the disciplinary force of the country should use its capabilities to the best advantage."

Teheran has blamed the United States and its allies for fomenting unrest along Iran's borders. Iran has several large minorities, including Azeris in the north, Kurds and Arabs in the west and ethnic Afghans in the east.

In the east, Teheran has sought to block the flow of heroin from Afghanistan, which has helped create a huge drug problem in Iran. Al Qaida has also used the drug route.

Officials said the Supreme National Security Council would soon explore the use of the IRGC and Basij in border areas. The Basij has already been trained for border security.


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