Iraqi, Iranian and Pakistani 'terrorists' seized in Afghanistan

Middle East Times ^ | February 1, 2006

[jmc1969]

Counter-terrorism police have arrested an Iraqi, an Iranian and three Pakistanis allegedly planning attacks in insurgency-hit southern Afghanistan, the interior ministry said on Wednesday.

The men had entered Afghanistan's Nimroz province from neighboring Iran, ministry spokesman Yousuf Stanizai said.

"They are all terrorists. They had crossed illegally into Nimroz from Iran and wanted to go to other provinces to carry out terrorist attacks," he said.

"They all had documents proving their identities. The investigation is ongoing."

Stanizai said that the Iraqi, whose name was not disclosed, was on his way to southern Kandahar province.

The province is a hotbed of an insurgency that erupted after the Taliban government was ousted in late 2001. It has suffered frequent suicide and car bomb attacks that officials often blame on foreigners allied with the Taliban.

[jmc1969]

Ping

[Straight Vermonter]

We seem to be getting excellent intel in Afghanistan lately.

Notice that they were not caught in the act or anything merely caught after entering the country. Either there was some intel that they were coming or locals reported suspicious people in town. Either way a good win for our side.

[jmc1969]

The Iranians coming into Iraq and Afghanistan to work with al-Qaeda to fight the US dispels the lonstanding notion that Shia would not work with al-Qaeda.

Also, I think Zarqawi has been sending a decient amount of men and money into Afghanistan to get his new insurgent group there calling itself "al-Qaeda in Afghanistan" off the ground. That might be a place he is thinking about fleeing to if things continue going downhill for him in Iraq.

[Calpernia]

Counter-terrorism police have arrested an Iraqi, an Iranian and three Pakistanis allegedly planning attacks in insurgency-hit southern Afghanistan, the interior ministry said on Wednesday.

The men had entered Afghanistan's Nimroz province from neighboring Iran, ministry spokesman Yousuf Stanizai said.

[sageb1]

Hope so. My cousin is in Afghanistan.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

OOpsie. Someone said something.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[M. Espinola]

"The men had entered Afghanistan's Nimroz province from neighboring Iran, ministry spokesman Yousuf Stanizai said."

They come from a place which has been exporting Islamic terrorism for 25 years, Iran.

[Marine_Uncle]

"That might be a place he is thinking about fleeing to if things continue going downhill for him in Iraq."
That does make sense. He can't return to Jordan. He is not welcome in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman etc.. So the most remote area in Afghanistan at least affords him temparary refuge. And he can at least sneak over the northern Iraqi/Iranian border then work his way into A. He may be fearful at this point in attempting to cross into Syria with the constantly improving border control and increasing opposition al-Qaeda faces in the rivertine towns. Surely he is not welcome in southern Iraq after killing so many Shia. So he probably would have less chance of a successful crossing in lower eastern Iraq into Iran. Just a guess.