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    Cover story

    Afghan survey: Comments
    Part Two

    September 17, 1998
    The Iranian

    The following are the first batch of comments from respondents to The Iranian Times survey on the Iran-Afghan crisis, conducted on Sept 11-13. For the first batch of comments click here.

    All comments will be gradually posted during the week. For survey results click here. Also see Hooshang Amirahmadi's analysis.

    NOTE: Each comment is from a different person. The names and email addresses have been withheld.

    - We should first clean house
    - Three cheers for Iran, if it intervenes

    - Work to ensure the killers found
    - A few surgical strikes
    - Foreign ministry mistake
    - Please be far-sighted
    - Afghanis get what they want
    - Deaths do not justify war
    - If there's war, I'll fight

    - Sympathy for the dead
    - False use of religion
    - Help opposition groups
    - Time for army to shine
    - Muslim unity
    - War is a conspiracy
    - Justice must be achieved
    - Create Afghan safe haven
    - Utilize best diplomacy
    - Bad answer

    - Not sphere of influence
    - Inexperience in international politics
    - The losers are always the people
    - Taleban a definite threat
    - Justice through the U.N.
    - Intervene when civilians massacred

    - Pursue all the international channels
    - I'm gonna do military service
    - Diplomacy only option

    - I believe in revenge
    - Stop playing "cowboys"

    - IRI has no moral authority
    - Iran is not the policeman
    - Can't afford another war
    - Full-scale embargo
    - Losing cultural influence in Afghanistan
    - War can be catastrophic
    - Superpowers want war
    - We are all Persian
    - Leave Afghains alone
    - Solve problems at home

    - Ideal situation for conservatives
    - Give strong warning
    - Taste of its own medicine

    - Waste of young lives

    For the first batch of comments click here.


    Taleban a definite threat

    Taleban forces are very radical and are a definite threat to Iran and other countries in that region. Iran must lead the effort to stop them in order to show its strength in that region and to show that the United States isn't the only country that can use strength and military force in the Middle East. It is about time Iran stood up and showed some of the surrounding factions that they are still a stong and nationalistic counrty.


    Diplomacy only option

    Protecting human rights is everyone's responsibility. The trick is to protect without abusing the rights of others, including even the Taleban. The right to live is most fundamental. Full scale war should not be chosen: diplomatic negotiations are the only option.

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    Intervene when civilians are massacred

    It is every country's responsibility to intervene when civilians are massacred for their beliefs (Shi'ism, Bahai, Jeudaism, etc.) anywhere in the world. However, Iran should not support the opposition groups by supplying them with artillery and to let them keep them fighting. Taliban have 90% of Afghanistan covered and the opposition groups have no chance of winning the war against them. Iran should start a massive campaign and invite the international community to put pressure on the Taliban regime and those countries that recognize them as a legitimate government.

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    We should first clean house

    If Iran were in a better position itself, I think support for others in need would be appropriate, in fact, necessary. However, given the state of our nation with regards to the financial stability of its citizens, social and political freedom, and basic human rights, we should first clean house before attempting to solve the problem of others.

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    Pursue all the international channels

    Iranian government should exhaust all the international channels before even thinking about going to a full-scale war with Afghanistan. Remember, this the same Afghanistan that resisted the Soviet Union for several years.

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    Work to ensure the killers are found

    I personally think that Iran should work with Afghanistan to ensure the killers are found and punished, but I also think that war should be waged on the Taleban forces, not Afghanistan itself. It's not the average Afghan's fault the diplomats were killed.

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    I'm gonna do military service

    I pray there won't be any military engagement with Afghanistan in the next two years ! I'm gonna do my military service next month ! :)

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    Three cheers for Iran, if it intervenes

    Iran is the only country capabale of carrying out a humanitarian intervention in Afghanistan, putting a stop to Pakistani and Saudi sponsored intervention through their Taleban proxies and bringing about a just peace in Afghanistan. Afghanistan, like Bosnia and Kosova is a case of outside aggression in the form of a proxy war. The world community and the United Nations have appealed time and time again to Pakistan and the Talebans to stop their military offensives, with no results.

    The time is for military action, because without military resistance to the Taleban marauders, there can be no diplomatic solution. The United States tacit support and aquiescence to the criminal Taleban invasion is one of a long line of moral disgraces on the part of the supposedly democratic United States in the Post Cold War period. Iran stands on a higher moral ground than the United States in the case of Afghanistan. Only Iran is in a postition to stop Taleban genocide against the Afghan people.

    Three cheers for Iran, if it intervenes and smashes the Pakistani-sponsored Taleban. Iran will be doing the morally right thing if it intervenes in Afghanistan. The Taleban are not a particularly fomidable military force as Iraq was. Iran should be able to assist the anti-Taleban opposition in expelling the Taleban invaders and in brining about a just negotiated peace in Afghanistan.

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    The losers are always the people

    The fate of a nation should be decided by their people. If the majority of the people would like to have the Taliban group to represent them, then that is what it should be. If Iranian government does not like the Taliban group that does not give them the right to intervene in the affairs of Afghanistan. Iranian diplomats should have been out of there since the majority of the country was controlled by the Taliban. But instead they chose to stay there and back the opposition.

    If a war breaks out, the history will repeat itself. The war will go on for 10 years and a lot of people will be killed and after 10 years they apologize to each other and nothing will come out of it, like the Iran-Iraq war. The losers are always the people. In my opinion Iran is looking forward to this war because of the fact that their economy is not doing good and the new generation of young people who do not have jobs are pressuring the government to do something.

    Let's accept the fact that the old regime of Afghanistan is gone and Taliban is taking over (although I do not condone what the Afghan government is doing).

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    Waste of young lives

    Iran should not help the Afghanis nor fight the Taleban. This is just a waste of young lives, money and time. IT IS NOT WORTH IT. That's the only smart thing that Iran can do right now. America is waiting for Iran to do a stupid thing and go to war with the Afghanis.

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    Inexperience in international politics

    If the Pakistani influence is proven, Iran should not be indifferent to this crucial development. This shows Iranian inexperience in international politics to be taken by horrible suprise! My heart goes for the Iranian and Afghani victims.

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    Taste of its own medicine

    Iran deserves a taste of its own medicine and I say this even though I am an Iranian.

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    Not sphere of influence

    Afghanistan should be considered part of Iranian sphere of influence . Iranian interests both in material and people (Shi'ite and Sunni) dimensions should be protected. This must first be achieved via political and economic means, and finally by military means.

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    Bad action should not be answered by another bad action

    I think Iran should not engage in war with Afghanistan because of many reasons, some of which are:

    1) We don't love war. It is not beautiful at all. We LOVE peace!

    2) Afghanistan has lots of problems by itself and we should help them to solve their problem and not try to add new problem to their problems.

    3) A bad action should not be answered by another bad action but the best one.

    4) We can not claim that all the Afghan people are responsible for the deadth of Iranian diplomats so we can not hurt inocent people. Engaging in war will hurt them.

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    Give strong warning

    I should agree with engaging in full scale war against the Talaban forces, but in the long term this will have side effects for Iran. These Afghan Talabans are barbarians; they might terrorize Iranians everywhere. They are supported by America , Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The best way is to deal with the matter in a political and diplomatic way. But give them a strong waning that if this happens next time, the reply will be completly different.

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    Ideal situation for conservatives

    I don't think the situation in Afghanistan should be reduced to a Shi'ite and Sunni conflict. My heart goes to all people of Afghanistan. The gravity of the situation is highlighted by the fact that compared to the Taliban, the Islamic Repbulic does not look that bad. At the same time I hate seeing people like (Revolutionary Gaurds Commander) Raheem Safavi flexing their muscels (this is the ideal situation for their faction in the power struggle).

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    Utilize best diplomacy

    Iran would not enter into another military conflict with her neighbor in the near future. We must utilize the best in diplomacy and be wise enough to inform the world about our innocence and Taleban's uncivilized manner.

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    Solve problems at home

    Iran has had its own problems for the past 20 years. they don't need to get involve in any form of conflect with others. they need to sit down and solve their own problems at home.

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    Foreign ministry mistake

    The Iranian nation should never pay for the terrible mistakes made by the foriegn ministery.

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    Justice through the U.N.

    Iran, having problems of its own, should just seek justice through the United Nations. Any kind of war would not be beneficial to our country or Afghanistan. IIf one government in Afghanistan is causing so much problem, the solution is not war against the people of that counrty, rather to seek international help to solve this problem and help people of Afghanistan as well to get over this era of their sad history. As an Iranian I certainly hope , if anything like this happens to Iran , Afghanistan would have the logical sense to deal with the matter with reason!

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    If there's war, I'll fight

    It's natural for Iran to be concerned about its eastern borders where opium, tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, gangsters, ....... and MISERY enters Iran. It's obvious that if Iran had enough POWER to afford a new war with Afghans (Pakestan and the U.S.) it would attack them. But we must be realistic! Afghans have no political maturity and are pawns in the hand of others - directly or indirectly. I'm one of those who oppose some policies of our government but be sure that if a war begins, I'll be one of the first volunteers to fight.

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    Leave Afghains alone

    Iran shouldn't play a game that it is clear she will lose. It is obvious Iran doesn't have enough money and advanced weapons to help Shi'ite minorities in Afghanistan. Keep supporting Shi'ites will add more problems to the Shi'ite minority, because already they are a different ethnic group and a different sect of Islam from the Sunni Pashto. Helping them will show them as foreign agents in eyes of Taliban and they can get public support from Pashtos to kill Shi'ites because of their links to foreigners!

    We, Iranians, shouldn't forget foreign influence in Sunni Kurdistan. Those foreigners could justify their support for those militant groups, as help for a minority in Iran. Obviously we didn't like it, because we don't believe Kurds are not Iranian, and we believe any change in any province of Iran should be done by support of all Iranians without foreign involvement.

    So let's allow Afghains do whatever they want to do, even if they kill half of their people, war will finish sooner if foreigners don't get involved. If Pakistan supports Taliban, Pakistan is doing wrong and It doesn't justify our action to keep supporting anti-Taliban groups.

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    Please be far-sighted

    Iran's government should follow the appropriate, internationally-accepted guidelines to voice her complain about Taliban's hideous crime against Iranian diplomats. They must use UN, international mass media, etc., to further expose this event and disarm those forces who cannot wait to further weaken Iran by using their massive propaganda machines. A message to Iran's government: Please be far-sighted. You owe it to your people!

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    We are all Persian

    I am not quite aware of what the ideology of the Taleban is. But I think these people are all persians and by no means the blood of a Persian must be wasted. It's time to wake up and smell the coffee, and stop killing ourselves for god's sake.

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    Create Afghan safe haven

    Govrenment of Iran should take-over a portion of western portion Afghanistan and give it to Afghan refugees and help them with necessary arms. This would help Afghan refugees to live in their own country, make their own future and not be a burdon on Iran's economy.

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    Justice must be achieved

    With all the hate I have for war and destruction, I must admit that at this point I would like the murderers of Iranian diplomats to be punished as severely as possible. I do not support the involvement of Iran in any kind of war, yet the unjustified and unfair killings of innocent individuals must not be left unanswered. Justice must be achieved either through diplomatic or military means, whatever is more meaningful considering international laws regarding this particular matter which clearly indicates a violation of basic human rights.

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    Superpowers want war

    We should remember that the Russian war with the Mojahedeen/Taleban resulted in the downfall of the Russian system as we knew it. This conflict will have no long-term benefit to Iran. This perhaps is another scenario designed by the supper powers (US and UK) to get Iran involved in a conflict which will result in delays in the country's development by wasting resources in a no-win situation such as in the Iraq-Iran war 10 years ago. Let's learn from past mistakes and make our own decisions rather than getting involved in their games of spionage in further delaying our development plan. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE SUPER POWERS' GOAL IS NOTHING BUT TO USE OUR NATURAL RESOURCES AND SELL THEIR MILLITARY GOODS AT A SUPER INFLATED PRICES TO BENEFIT THEIR SYSTEM. LET''S NOT GET INVOLVED IN A LOOSING PROPOSITION ON BOTH SIDES.

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    I believe in revenge

    I believe in revenge. We should kill nine Afghan diplomats.

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    Help opposition groups

    Iran should not get involved in a war with Afghanistan. Instead the Iranian government should support and help the opposition groups against Taleban in Afghanistan.

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    IRI has no moral authority

    Iran should not intervene or engage into direct war with Afghanistan. We don't have to look far back into history for the answer, and also look at the USSR engagement in Afghanistan. We should not forget that we have had eight years war with Iraq, and should remember its human financial cost, for which Iran cannot recover for tens of years to come.

    We don't have to forget that Iran's Islamic regime in its early days (and today) has done the same thing to other minority ethnic groups such as Kurds, Baluchis, Turkmen, Turks, Arabs and also other religious groups and countless other crims against humanity which has caused many of us to leave our country and live elsewhere in the world as refugees. I believe that this regime dose no have any moral authority to go and criticize the Taleban group in Afghanistan. May be they are more extreme tham the I.R. of Iran, but they have the same philosophy; they want to create an Islamic State as the Iranian regime.

    Shame on this hundred-faced and inhuman regime. Shame and shame. History will not forget what they have done to our beloved country and will judge them sooner than they think.

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    Full-scale embargo

    If I had the power, I would punish the Taliban by carrying out a full-scale of embargo against them and their supporters.

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    Stop playing "cowboys"

    I am very concerned that once again Iran and Iranian people will be facing a long and drawn out war. I would hope that in this day and age of enlightenment, we human beings could act more civil with one another. I hope that this problem can be resolved on a non-violent level. We need to stop playing "cowboys" and start feeling compassion for one another.

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    Iran is not the policeman

    Iran is not the policeman of the region. The Iranian government started with a wrong policy toward Afghanistan in the first place. Now it is to late to do anything. We should stay away and worry about our own problems which are too many!

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    Sympathy for the dead

    Internal affairs of Afghanistan is none of Iran's business. Iran's money and resources are too important to be wasted on influencing the internal affairs of other countries. My heart goes to the Iranian civilians and reporters who got killed in Mazar-e-Sharif. I am not sure if I can express the same feeling for the government officials, though!

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    Can't afford to have another war

    Our people simply can not afford to have another war. The officials should concentrate just on our own country's problems and should not interfere in others.

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    Deaths do not justify war

    I don't know a lot about the situation in Afghanestan. However, I beleive there has to be strong reason to jepodize lives. Although it was inhuman to take the lives of Iranian diplomats, it shouldn't promote taking more.

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    Time for army to shine

    I blieve it's time for the Iranian arm forces to shine again. For 19 years they have been under presure to preform for bunch of Hindu and Arab-loving mollas. It's time to crush the Taleban and turn around and crush the akhunds and theire stupid followers who have no use on this good earth and our beutiful Iran.

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    False use of religion

    As a Muslim I AM SIMPLY ASHAMED THAT BOTH GOVERMENTS USE RELIGION TO ADVANCE THEIR OWN AGENDA AND I AM MORE DISTRESSED BY TALIBAN GOVERMENT FOR THEIR STUPID INTERPERTATION OF ISLAMIC LAWS AND HOW THE WORLD LOOKS AT THE ISLAMIC RELIGION.

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    Losing cultural influence in Afghanistan

    During the years even we ordinary Iranians have been without care about our old countrymen in Afghanistan. Because of that lack of considration on the part of the government and the people, now we face the events we are facing today.

    If the current trend of events continues in Afghanistan Iran will lose all it has there. The Taliban are Pashtons and Sunni, they will wipe out the Persian language and Shi'osm in a land which is a part of the birthplace of Persian culture. And that is what Pakistan and some Arab countries want.

    Because of geopolitical conditions and the cultural influence of Iran in Central Asia, uprooting Iranian culture in Afghanistan will help them to gain more influence in Central Asia. That will bring economical benefits to them. If we remain silent we will experience another great historical defeat after losing many parts of our land (Harat included).

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    Afghanis get what they want

    The "no intervention policy" of Iran is a two-way street. Iranians want to control Iran's destiny and policies. And Afghanis must be allowed to determine their destiny without influence from Iran, Pakistan or any other country. People of a country get the government that they deserve.

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    Muslim unity

    Muslims should work as one hand, one body, one soul.

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    A few surgical strikes

    No war is a good one, an in the end, one nation looses a bit more than the other. There is no such thing as a winnable war anymore. In Iran vs Afghanistan, I truely believe a few surgical strikes should teach those barbarians a lesson they will not forget for a long time. To hell with their twisted ideology.

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    War can be catastrophic

    Starting another war can be really catastrophic for Iranians. They don't want another war, because they tasted the bitterness of the war with Iraq. Besides the martyrs of that war, the funds spent in that war and the condition which stopped developement, what else dis Iranians gain from war? War is horrible to Iranians and it's enough for them.

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    War is a conspiracy

    Twenty years ago Kissinger and Rockefeler planed the Iran-Iraq war. They diverted the momentum of a popular revolution and Iranian anger towards the Shah into an anti-America feeling, causing the hostage crisis and isolating Iran by bringing a dying Shah to America. Twenty years ago we had revolutionary fever. We could not think straight and we fell into that Zionist trap. The Taleban are only few thousand Afghans, Pakistanis and Arabs recruited and financed by the CIA and Bin Laden. They are recognized only by Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Pakistan. This time the conspiracy is very obvious. We should not go to war with Afghanistan. We should keep a big military force in our eastern borders to prevent drug trafficking, one of the sources of Taleban income. We have to send a strong and loud message to the people of Pakistan that no mater what their government is doing, we will remain two brotherly nations. We should also send similar massages to Saudi Arabia and UAE. People of Afghanistan know that their true friend is Iran.

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