I have recently listened to a person I am close to explain to me that all the government of Afghanistan really wants from America is American money. His claim is that as long as they get American money, they really don’t care a lot about what happens in their country. I attempted to argue with this person, but sometimes things happen that make me wonder if he is right. This is one of those times.
On Saturday, Reuters reported that Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi visited Afghanistan on Saturday to strengthen ties between the two countries as American forces prepare to leave.
The article reports:
“”The Islamic Republic of Iran considers Afghanistan’s security as its own security, has put a lot of effort towards stability in Afghanistan and will continue to help in this regard,” Iranian state broadcaster IRIB quoted Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi as saying.”
This is the international equivalent of the fox worrying about the safety of the hens in the henhouse and offering to help protect them.
Ahmad Vahidi is listed on the Interpol website as a wanted criminal. He is suspected of participating in the bombing of a Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1994. He is also reportedly the former commander of the Qods Force of the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps). Generally speaking, he is not someone who would be interested in supporting a democracy in Afghanistan that has freedom of religion and freedom of speech. In parenting terms, he is not someone you would want your children hanging around with.
The Reuters article further reports:
“While Iran will be happy to see the start of a drawdown in U.S. troops, it is concerned about drug smuggling from Afghanistan — the world’s biggest exporter of opiates — and the presence of al Qaeda in the region.
“U.S. military officers have long alleged Iranian support for the Taliban. Britain said this year that NATO had identified a cache of weapons seized in Afghanistan as coming from Iran and destined for Taliban insurgents.
“Afghan President Hamid Karzai has acknowledged that his office receives “bags of money” from Iran, which he says is a form of aid that helps cover presidential palace expenses.”
This is what happens when you don’t actually win the war and make fundamental changes in the way the country is run. That is the difference between Afghanistan now and Japan after World War II–Japan’s culture was alien to western culture. Now, Japan has kept its individuality as a nation, but has become a positive force among the nations of the world.