October 23, 2001	Tuesday	Shaba'an 5, 1422

TEHRAN: As US ground forces went into Afghanistan over the weekend, neighbouring Iran’s worries over the spectre of long-term US military presence in the region are also growing larger. Iran is looking beyond military conflict to the potential legacy of this war: the long shadow of US presence in the region.

Indeed, soon after the Sept 11 attacks, Iranian officials began to express concern about how the upcoming war could change the landscape of a region that touches on Central Asia, as well as South Asia and the Middle East.

A week after the September attacks, Iran’s state news agency quoted the country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini as saying: “If the Americans intend to expand their power in the region by presence in Pakistan and sending forces to Afghanistan, it will just add to their own problems.”

On state radio, Hassan Rowhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council pointed out: “A long-time aim of the Americans has been to dominate the oil wells in the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea, and with the attacks against Afghanistan, they have found the excuse to gain a presence in the Caspian Sea.”

Similar words were uttered by the commander of Revolutionary Guards, Gen Yahya Rahim Safavi: “Washington’s prime objective in its military showdown in the region is to dominate Central Asia and the Caucasus. Given the huge hydrocarbon reserves in the Caspian and the world’s need for energy in the next 20 years, world powers have become intensively interested in the region.”

At the same time, Iranian leaders have been unequivocal in condemning the Sept 11 terrorist attacks, with the most outspoken condemnation from President Mohammad Khatami.

In the days after the attacks, many even called Tehran’s position “tacit support” — but as the days went by, Iranian officials have said that they are staunchly opposed to US air raids against “innocent and defenceless civilians” in Afghanistan.

Khamenei also said this week of the US-led attacks on Afghanistan: “Regional and, most probably, world peace is being jeopardized particularly by the actions and policies of American officials.”

Tehran says any international campaign must be led by the UN. It also worries that military strikes would only compound the problem of its more than two million Afghan refugees, which Iran has been hosting with little if any support from the international community.

But while Tehran is concerned about US influence in the region, many think that if Washington and Tehran do not take this fresh opportunity to cooperate now, their relationship would well worsen in the future. “Obviously, neither side sees a relationship with the other as totally crucial. But by not having ties, both sides are losing out,” said Taha Hashemi, editor of ”Entekhab” daily. “Each has certain needs the other can fulfil. This creates the need to use opportunities that come up to create a common understanding. This is a good opportunity to move in the direction of creating trust,” he said in a recent interview.

But rapprochement between the US and Iran, after two decades of deep-rooted hostilities, has opponents here. “Obviously, the Conservatives have absolutely no interest in using this opportunity to improve relations with the United States, because they fear that the opening up of relations will entail a weakening of their position domestically,” said a reformist member of parliament. —Dawn/InterPress Service.