| May 26,
2009
Iran extends its influence in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Reza Hossein Borr
The Islamic Republic of Iran is taking advantage of
a lapse in American politics when President Obama is
formulating his new Middle East policies to actualize
its expansionist policies in the Middle East. Just a
few days after the summit meeting of American president
with the presidents of Afghanistan and Pakistan, president
Ahmadinejad invited the presidents of both countries
to Iran in a comprehensive show of unity. The president
of Iran was able to emphasize the strategy of regional
peace and security by the governments of the region while
both Pakistan and Afghanistan are heavily dependent on
America for their survival.
Iran and Pakistan signed several agreements with the
unannounced consent of American. The most important one
was about launching the peace pipeline which transfers
Iranian gas to Pakistan and then India. This agreement
was signed after 15 years of delaying when different
American administrations discouraged Pakistani governments
from signing it. It seems that Pakistan government signed
this agreement with Iran with the prior consent of United
States. The Pakistani petroleum ministry said that power
generation and usage of imported Iranian gas by heavy
industries would result in annual saving of up to $1
billion in furnace oil imports, if the crude oil prices
are at $50 per barrel. If the price of oil goes up, Pakistan
will benefit even more.
Annual saving of up to 1 billion dollars for Pakistan
will make this country organically depend on Iran. This
is even more valuable to Pakistan than the $10 billion
the United States of America gave to Pakistan in nearly
eight years. There is no any accountability attached
to it. The Iranian officials had already announced that
the price of the gas that will be sold to Pakistan will
be at 65 percent discount of the marketplace.
In another agreement that was signed between Iran and
Pakistan, president Ahmadinejad committed Iran to provide
free electricity to the great and new Pakistani port
of Gwadar which is located in Baluchistan. The Iranian
port of Chabahar is considered to be a competitor of
Gwadar and yet why Iran wants to grant free electricity
to it, poses a mysterious question. Such an agreement
will make Pakistan very dependent to Iranian expansionist
policies.
When the American and European analysts predicted that
Pakistan may collapse in the near future, the Islamic
Republic of Iran transferred and deployed its Revolutionary
Guard Corp at the borders of Pakistan. Some analysts
believe that the Islamic Republic of Iran was planning
to occupy the mine-rich Baluchistan and Gwadar port after
the collapse of Pakistan. There was no any other justifiable
reason to deploy the Iranian army in Baluchistan at the
borders of Pakistan.
As the influence of the United States of America has
began to dwindle in the Middle East, the state of Oman
on the south side of straight of Hormoz began moving
away from the liberal governments of the Middle East
towards the Islamic Republic of Iran. The state of Oman
has experienced changed in balance of power in favour
of Iran.
After the Islamic revolution in Iran, the Islamic Republic
of Iran was completely isolated and surrounded by hostile
governments. The most powerful enemies of Iran were the
governments of Taleban in Afghanistan on the Eastern
side of Iran and the government of Saddam Hussein to
the West of Iran. The Bush administration invested more
than $500 billion dollars to destroy the enemies of the
Islamic Republic of Iran and practically transform it
into a major power and allowed it to extend its influence
in Syria, Lebanon and Palestine.
As the influence of the Islamic Republic of Iran rises
in neighbouring countries, governments of Afghanistan
and Pakistan also are joining hands with Iran. The declaration
that was published after the trilateral summit, the presidents
of three countries promised to focus on regional solutions
for establishing stability and security and fighting
the common enemies. The amazing thing is that the Islamic
Republic of Iran has definitively interfered in the affairs
of Afghanistan by supporting Taleban and Alqaedah. Iran
has also supported sectarian violence also between Sunnis
and Shias in Pakistan. Yet, in a very complicated dual
policy, Iran has been able to extend its influence in
both countries while supporting the enemies of both governments.
It is clear that the government of Afghanistan cannot
last without military, financial and international support
of the United States of America and NATO forces. It is
also clear that Pakistan cannot survive without the financial
support of America as Americans promised to donate nearly
two billion dollars to Pakistan in this year. The big
question is how the Islamic Republic of Iran and the
United States of America can agree on working together
closely to manage the affairs of both Pakistan and Afghanistan
as they did in Iraq and as they are doing in Lebanon
now?
It is a very complicated game but what is clear is that
the Islamic Republic of Iran is increasing its influence
in the Middle East at the cost of the moderate governments
of the region; while the Americans claim that they will
not arrange a great bargain with Iran at their cost.
Reza Hossein Borr is a leadership
consultant and the creator of 150 CDs and 14 Change management
models. He is also the author of Manual Success, Manual
of Coaching and Mentoring, Motivational Stories that
Can Change Your Life, and a New Vision for the Islamic
World. He can be contacted by email: balochfront@aol.com
Site: www.rezaaa.com
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