Former Taliban leader says no Taliban office in Iran
04 August, 2012
KABUL: It is impossible for the Taliban to open an office in Iran and Pakistan, former Taliban member, Sayed Akbar Agha said. The Wall Street Journal quoted senior Afghan and western officials saying that Iran has allowed the Taliban to open an office in the eastern city of Zahedan to expand options for retaliation if its nuclear facilities come under attack. Zahedan is near the Pakistan and Afghanistan borders and on an easy transit route from Pakistani city of Quetta where many Taliban leaders are based. The office is meant to allow Iran to coordinate with the Taliban against the U.S., the officials said?. "This is absolutely impossible. The Taliban would not open an office in Iran because the Afghan people will blame them for any Iranian intervention or attacks. I strongly reject this," Agha said. Mohammad Dehqani, a spokesman for Iranian embassy in Afghanistan, denied the allegations, saying that "foreign governments are trying to create regional conflict for their own benefit." End.
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