KABUL, AFGHANISTAN — Afghan President Hamid Karzai gave Iran his full embrace Monday, saying it has been his country's "very close friend," even as U.S. officials meeting with him here repeated their accusation that Iranian-made weapons were flowing to Taliban fighters.
Karzai made the remarks at a joint news conference after a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who was in Afghanistan for nearly 24 hours to meet with American commanders and Afghan officials. Gates said that he raised the issue of the Iranian munitions in his meeting with Karzai, but acknowledged that there was no evidence the Iranian government was behind the alleged shipments.
When asked whether he believed Tehran, which has largely been a benign presence in Afghanistan since the 2001 fall of the Taliban, had decided to change course and support its former foes, Karzai gave an impassioned backing for the Iranian government. He called it a force for good in Afghanistan.
"Iran and Afghanistan have never been as friendly as they are today," Karzai said. "In the past five years Iran has been contributing to Afghanistan's reconstruction, and in the past five years Afghanistan has been Iran's very close friend."
Pentagon officials have in recent weeks made repeated reference to the Iranian-made weapons the Americans say they have found in Afghanistan, which include roadside bombs that have been used so effectively against U.S. forces in Iraq. Iran borders both nations, where the U.S. has military operations.
Gates repeated the allegation at Monday's news conference and said the U.S. had yet to determine the reason for the weapons' appearance. He said the arms, which began turning up in "the past few months," may be part of the anti-coalition campaign being waged by Taliban fighters, but could as easily be tied to rising violence caused by the narcotics trade.
"We do not have any information about whether the government of Iran is supporting this, is behind it, or whether it's [related to] smuggling or exactly what's behind it," Gates acknowledged. "But there clearly is evidence that some weapons are coming into Afghanistan destined for the Taliban."
Karzai went out of his way to emphasize Iran's growing economic ties to Afghanistan, saying Iranian exports over the last five years have grown to more than $500 million annually from less than $10 million. He said the close ties between his government and that of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had the support of the U.S. government.
