Sphere of Influence
In western Afghanistan, the United States tries to counter Iran's deep ties
The city of Herat, the capital of the province, is the wealthiest in Afghanistan today, thanks in large part to Iranian goods and services. Once upon a time, Herat was an oasis town renowned for rich soil that produced lush gardens, cornfields, and vineyards. Today, it remains a transit point with strong historic ties to Iran. Officials estimate that one third of the town lived in Iran at some point during the Soviet and Taliban years, and the vast majority of residents are fluent in Farsi, the language of Iran. Shopkeeper Abdullah Ahmad glances around at the goods in his store—the loose tea, rice, sandals, and toys. Everything here, he says, comes from buying trips he takes to Iran.
Jobs wanted. The lines in front of the Iranian Embassy most mornings are a testament to the high unemployment rate in Afghanistan today—and to the number of Afghans who have consequently found jobs in Iran. Afghans say they are in desperate need of local factories that will allow them to produce their own goods and provide a much-needed source of employment for young people looking for something to do. But among locals and high-ranking officials alike, suspicion remains that Iran is trying to prevent that from happening. "They don't want us to build factories because they want to send their junk here to sell," says border police chief Safi. "Iran is often interfering, because they don't want to see a strong Afghanistan."
U.S. officials, too, are being warned about consequences to a lack of local jobs and industry. A local leader in Khosan does not mince words: "If they are jobless and have nothing to do, I'm sure they'll just start working for the Taliban and al Qaeda."
Aware of such dynamics, the U.S. military has launched small-scale civil engineering projects throughout western Afghanistan that have allowed it to employ entire villages for six months at a time rebuilding dams and irrigation systems. Where in the past U.S. military officials tried to step back and let the Afghan government take credit, they are now not averse to taking some credit themselves, to show local communities that America cares. In one area recently, an Afghan general was currying favor with locals by passing out school supplies donated from America. U.S. military officials decided, for example, that they should pass out more of the supplies themselves.
At Camp Stone, a forward operating base in Herat, members of a U.S. military mentoring team set out for a visit to Khosan. They plan to check out some recent U.S.-sponsored engineering initiatives and provide some much-needed medical checkups for locals. But their most important mission is to gauge the extent of any lingering resentments in the village after a flare-up caused by tensions on the border.
Iranian fuel trucks had been rolling into Afghanistan, creating an illicit source of income for villagers in Afghan border towns who siphoned off some fuel from the trucks to sell for profit—a bit of corruption that they justified as "local taxes." Children with purple lips sucked fuel into hoses to dump into containers and sell. This month, the Afghan government stepped in to stop the practice, which triggered demonstrations in Khosan by villagers upset about losing that source of income—and the cheap Iranian fuel.
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