WASHINGTON, March 11: A US lawmaker made a startling revelation at a recent Senate hearing, claiming that some supplies to Nato forces in Afghanistan were now going through Iran.

Senator Jim Webb, a Virginia Democrat who also served Secretary of the Navy under President Ronald Reagan, made this revelation at a special hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“General, a question was asked to you about the relationship between Iran and Afghanistan. Is it not true that Iran is now also allowing Nato cargo shipments to pass through Iran into Afghanistan?” asked Senator Webb while addressing Lt-Gen. Michael Maples, head of the US Defence Intelligence Agency.

“Sir, I’m not familiar with that,” said the general.

“We have been briefed to that effect. So you’re not aware that that’s going on?” asked the senator.

“No, sir,” the general said. “I’ll have to get back to you on that, sir.”

If true, this could be as embarrassing as a similar disclosure during another Senate hearing last month when Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that unmanned CIA Predator aircraft operating in Pakistan are flown from an air base in that country.

Meanwhile, Gen. Maples and the new US National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair also told the Armed Services Committee that Iran did not have a nuclear weapon and would not have the means to make or launch one for a while.
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