Sphere of Influence
In western Afghanistan, the United States tries to counter Iran's deep ties
At the premission briefing, the American soldiers are warned to be careful in their driving and intelligence gathering. "We can ruin this whole mission in a pair of seconds," says Col. Barry Searle, the senior U.S. adviser for Afghan security forces in western Afghanistan. "We don't want to squash any school kids." Another officer tells the gunners in the humvees to be friendly and wave often at the villagers while staying alert for clues of trouble. "If we're waving our hands off and they're not waving back," he says, "we need to know that."
They are greeted warmly in Khosan by a senior local official. But he has complaints that go beyond the fuel dispute. Refugees forcibly repatriated from Iran have been pouring into town. As a result, Khosan has tripled in size in a month. "We want to put a strong emphasis on this area," Searle assures him, "and assist the population in getting jobs and projects." The local official agrees. "If we have more projects, the people of the village will be happy. If not, they will go to Iran. Or," he adds in ominous warning, "do activities against the government."
Warlords. And they aren't the only ones that Afghans believe could make trouble. Afghan officials say they have evidence that Iran is supporting local warlords with trained men and arms. The current minister of energy, former warlord Ismael Khan, once held considerable power in Herat. Today, it is clear that he still does, says a senior U.S. official, who believes that Khan's supporters are angling to bring him back into power in Herat, perhaps as governor—a move, he adds, that could be destabilizing for the Afghan government.
Also destabilizing has been the flood of refugees—some 2,000 per day earlier this year—along with concerns about operatives flowing in from Iran with them. Border police have brought in teams of village elders to question refugees with suspicious or nonexistent documentation (who make up the majority of returning refugees). "They say they are from a certain district," says Safi. "So we ask them things about their area that they will only know if they are Afghan."
But border police are scarce. Safi estimates that his force is about 400 police officers short. "The government asks me to do a lot, but there aren't enough police or checkpoints to do all of the operations," he says. "It's a big border."
Provincial police chief Maj. Gen. Ekramuddin Yawar says he has put in a request with the national Ministry of the Interior for more support for border surveillance and intelligence but adds that there is no word yet. "Maybe we don't have the budget for it, but it's necessary. Iran is right there," he says. "And we have to stand in front of them."
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