Obama Administration officials have long accused Iran of being secretly in league with the Taliban, but in the absence of evidence the claims have regularly been rejected by military officials, including Gen. Stanley McChrystal who just last month insisted there was zero proof that Iran had anything to do with the Taliban and said cross-border movement of trainees and weapons was not operationally significant.
But now, just weeks later, Gen. McChrystal is claiming there is “clear evidence of Iranian activity” in the war and that the US is working against their help of the Taliban.
Of course Gen. McChrystal provided no evidence to back up his allegation, and the fact remains that the Iranian government, on comparatively good terms with the US-backed Karzai government, has a long history of hostility against the Taliban.
Rather it seems McChrystal’s shift is more a function of the increased pressure he is under to show some modicum of progress in the endless war, and the quest for a new scapegoat to explain why the so-called McChrystal Plan hasn’t been any more successful than the myriad of other war plans were.
You say …
"Rather it seems McChrystal’s shift is more a function of the increased pressure he is under to show some modicum of progress in the endless war, and the quest for a new scapegoat to explain why the so-called McChrystal Plan hasn’t been any more successful than the myriad of other war plans were."
… ok, yes, it might make some twisted sense for McCrystal to try to put off some blame on Iran, since right now Iran seems to be the handy scapegoat for everything North Korea isn't blamed for, but you REALLY really really can't see the SCREAMINGLY OBVIOUS connection between this and the hundred other ways the Obama Regime has chosen to intensify the pressure on Iran since the Brazil-Iran-Turkey peace breakthrough?!!!
Iran is Shite, Taliban is Sunni. Perhaps some Iranian profiteers get weapons to the Taliban but this is just recycled propaganda McChrystal is using to CYA, cover your ass. In fact the campaign against Iran is almost verbatim as it was against Iraq, with just changing the last letter from q to n. It worked so well with concocting the Iraq scenario why not just use the same lies against Iran. Also, it cost effectivenot cosing anything except changing the letter.
Agree eppie, this is just another voice to add to those other warmongers who can't wait to start a real war with Iran. Of course, the US media will be all over these comments from our coin expert with the perfect plan on how to win in Afghanistan, feeding his BS to the dumbest citizenry on the planet.
The problem is that in the virtual war games these great men play with human lives and tax-payer dollars they set the rules, and the enemies they are chasing always lose and they win the game.
But in the real world, in that mountainous desert of Afghanistan, where the US public relations message is delivered by drones, the most deadly weapon the "enemy" possesses is patience – backed by several thousand years of practice.
Of course, McChrystal is out of his freaking mind.
What "Taliban" is that again?
The Iranians have, as pointed out, fairly warm relations with the Karzai government.
Has Karzai joined the insurgency yet? No doubt he can expect massive Iranian aid when he does.
I am truely beginning to wonder if our high brass have good enough memories to engage in the art of lying?
They must lay it our on Power Point.
Yeah, he must have missed that slide in the presentation.
Ah, good ole Stan the man is channeling once more. And why wouldn't he. He's created enough ghosts out of the locals.
The General definitively needs a good night's sleep one of these decades.
An accurate pictorial representation of McChrystal would be a scarecrow hung over some sticks. As we all know, however, he is far more deadly. He represents killing with no remorse of collateral casualties, regardless what he claims in Afghanistan. He is a born and highly trained killer.
It was said by Sophocles over 2000 years ago: "It is the merit of a general to conceal the truth and to impart only good news" – McLIAR does NOT have a clue as to what is happening in Afghanistan – IF he did have a clue he would recognize that in 2000 plus years NO one has ever won a war in Afghanistan – that is why the country has the well earned reputation as "the graveyard of soldiers and of empires."
Some day if peace ever comes back a worldly head of state will probably stand on a mountain or in a graveyard and solemly declare" We are all insurgents;" while the public applauds frantically and journalists dissect each word so that it can be declared world-shattering.