Comments on: Let’s Compare http://registan.net/index.php/2009/06/10/lets-compare/ Central Asia News -- All Central Asia, All The Time Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:32:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Received Wisdom And The DNI’s Intelligence « Get Afghanistan Right http://registan.net/index.php/2009/06/10/lets-compare/comment-page-1/#comment-381297 Received Wisdom And The DNI’s Intelligence « Get Afghanistan Right Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:05:18 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/06/10/lets-compare/#comment-381297 [...] never been furnished with even a scrap of actual proof. Hawks with an anti-Iran axe to grind are still spinning the facts and Occam's Razor doesn't ever get a look [...] [...] never been furnished with even a scrap of actual proof. Hawks with an anti-Iran axe to grind are still spinning the facts and Occam's Razor doesn't ever get a look [...]

]]> By: Fnord http://registan.net/index.php/2009/06/10/lets-compare/comment-page-1/#comment-380498 Fnord Sat, 13 Jun 2009 17:06:46 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/06/10/lets-compare/#comment-380498 When it comes to propaganda-stories about Iran being the enemy of the west, one country with a stated policy of planting stories leaps to mind... Just saying. When it comes to propaganda-stories about Iran being the enemy of the west, one country with a stated policy of planting stories leaps to mind… Just saying.

]]> By: Tina http://registan.net/index.php/2009/06/10/lets-compare/comment-page-1/#comment-380481 Tina Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:59:36 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/06/10/lets-compare/#comment-380481 When I first read the article I thought how conveniently one could substitute Iraq for Afghanistan and Hek for Sadr. It makes me wonder if this is part of the new Pentagon control the narrative plan. When I first read the article I thought how conveniently one could substitute Iraq for Afghanistan and Hek for Sadr. It makes me wonder if this is part of the new Pentagon control the narrative plan.

]]> By: Steve Hynd http://registan.net/index.php/2009/06/10/lets-compare/comment-page-1/#comment-380480 Steve Hynd Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:03:19 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/06/10/lets-compare/#comment-380480 Nevermind. I found the "<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/2958093/Taliban-claim-weapons-supplied-by-Iran.html" rel="nofollow">Taliban Claim Weapons Supplied By Iran</a>" story myself. It's from the notoriously unreliable Daily Telegraph. The source is a "commander, who would not be named." *Snort!* Regards, Steve Nevermind. I found the “Taliban Claim Weapons Supplied By Iran” story myself. It’s from the notoriously unreliable Daily Telegraph. The source is a “commander, who would not be named.” *Snort!*

Regards, Steve

]]> By: Steve Hynd http://registan.net/index.php/2009/06/10/lets-compare/comment-page-1/#comment-380479 Steve Hynd Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:53:35 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/06/10/lets-compare/#comment-380479 Mr Roggio, "Do you really think guys like Hek come and go in Iran without IRGC knowledge/support." Yes, because the entire region has porous borders and has since the Silk Road paths were first trod over 2,000 years ago. "Do you think EFPs just fall off the shelf in Iran? You do realize a Taliban commander and a weapons smuggler admitted that Qods supplies these." Link for that second sentence? But yeah, they fall off shelves all over the world. Belfast, Columbia, Iraq. After saying for months only Iran could make EFPs, the US military went and <a href="http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/get_the_facts_straight_on_iran.php" rel="nofollow">found EFP factories inside Iraq</a> back in 2007. Regards, Steve Mr Roggio,

“Do you really think guys like Hek come and go in Iran without IRGC knowledge/support.”

Yes, because the entire region has porous borders and has since the Silk Road paths were first trod over 2,000 years ago.

“Do you think EFPs just fall off the shelf in Iran? You do realize a Taliban commander and a weapons smuggler admitted that Qods supplies these.”

Link for that second sentence? But yeah, they fall off shelves all over the world. Belfast, Columbia, Iraq. After saying for months only Iran could make EFPs, the US military went and found EFP factories inside Iraq back in 2007.

Regards, Steve

]]> By: sayke http://registan.net/index.php/2009/06/10/lets-compare/comment-page-1/#comment-380478 sayke Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:44:49 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/06/10/lets-compare/#comment-380478 so what if ole' hekkie lived in iran for a while? half of afghanistan's literate population did at one point or another... ircg knowledge of his whereabouts is one thing, but support for his operations is quite another. do not conflate the two. in 2003 there were significant efforts on karzai's part to get him into government - and it's not like bush was on speaking terms with the iranians, and he hadn't been hekmatyar hadn't been messing with them, so why would they possibly go out of their way to arrest him? so what if ole’ hekkie lived in iran for a while? half of afghanistan’s literate population did at one point or another…

ircg knowledge of his whereabouts is one thing, but support for his operations is quite another. do not conflate the two. in 2003 there were significant efforts on karzai’s part to get him into government – and it’s not like bush was on speaking terms with the iranians, and he hadn’t been hekmatyar hadn’t been messing with them, so why would they possibly go out of their way to arrest him?

]]> By: David M http://registan.net/index.php/2009/06/10/lets-compare/comment-page-1/#comment-380477 David M Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:54:42 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/06/10/lets-compare/#comment-380477 The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post <a href="http://www.thunderrun.us/2009/06/from-front-06112009.html" rel="nofollow">From the Front: 06/11/2009 </a> News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front. The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the Front: 06/11/2009 News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front.

]]> By: Fabius Maximus http://registan.net/index.php/2009/06/10/lets-compare/comment-page-1/#comment-380476 Fabius Maximus Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:11:31 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/06/10/lets-compare/#comment-380476 I love reading about the Af-pak war, with its flashbacks of the salad days in the Iraq War. Same stories, same lack of evidence. When insurgents in Iraq or Af-Pak get MANPADS we'll know they have serious foreign government support (either money or weapons. Until then we'll just see this vague stuff. (1) Strong indications that everybody talks to everybody, rational behavior in wars with many non-State actors. (2) Much ink will be spilled on stories of the form X tells Americans that Y gets Iranian support (so we should not trust Y, and help X). Quality intel people can sort this out to some degree, but public sources are useless. Even the US government, for whom the primary target of info ops is the American people. I love reading about the Af-pak war, with its flashbacks of the salad days in the Iraq War. Same stories, same lack of evidence.

When insurgents in Iraq or Af-Pak get MANPADS we’ll know they have serious foreign government support (either money or weapons.

Until then we’ll just see this vague stuff.

(1) Strong indications that everybody talks to everybody, rational behavior in wars with many non-State actors.

(2) Much ink will be spilled on stories of the form X tells Americans that Y gets Iranian support (so we should not trust Y, and help X). Quality intel people can sort this out to some degree, but public sources are useless. Even the US government, for whom the primary target of info ops is the American people.

]]> By: Joshua Foust http://registan.net/index.php/2009/06/10/lets-compare/comment-page-1/#comment-380473 Joshua Foust Thu, 11 Jun 2009 01:47:32 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/06/10/lets-compare/#comment-380473 Bill, my point about Hekmatyar is that <i>everyone</i> in Afghanistan, good and bad, deals with Iran. The U.S. hesitated in supporting Massoud in the late 90s because of his ties to Iran. A year later, we were dumping millions of dollars on his tanzim... while Iran was actively collaborating with SOCOM to clear the Taliban out of Farah, Nimroz, and Herat. So when I urge skepticism of naked assertions that the Iranian government is "supporting the Taliban"—especially when spokesmen make it a point to say they're not saying that—it is not without reason, and it doesn't require casting aspersion on any other intelligence service. Bill, my point about Hekmatyar is that everyone in Afghanistan, good and bad, deals with Iran. The U.S. hesitated in supporting Massoud in the late 90s because of his ties to Iran. A year later, we were dumping millions of dollars on his tanzim… while Iran was actively collaborating with SOCOM to clear the Taliban out of Farah, Nimroz, and Herat.

So when I urge skepticism of naked assertions that the Iranian government is “supporting the Taliban”—especially when spokesmen make it a point to say they’re not saying that—it is not without reason, and it doesn’t require casting aspersion on any other intelligence service.

]]> By: Ian http://registan.net/index.php/2009/06/10/lets-compare/comment-page-1/#comment-380472 Ian Thu, 11 Jun 2009 01:27:04 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/06/10/lets-compare/#comment-380472 Also, Reagan invited Hekmatyar to the White House. Also, Reagan invited Hekmatyar to the White House.

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