InfoAnda - Insight: Iran's Great Game in Afghanistan |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart Won't Run For Chicago Mayor | 28 October 2010
David Archuleta To Sing "Something 'Bout Love" This Fall | 1 July 2010
Muslim Family Removed From Plane Due To 'Suspicious' Remarks | 2 January 2009

Libya names new head of armed forces | | 4 January 2012

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Insight: Iran's Great Game in Afghanistan |

Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Home Business Business Home Economy Technology Media Small Business Legal Deals Earnings Social Pulse Business Video The Freeland File Markets Markets Home U.S. Markets European Markets Asian Markets Global Market Data Indices M&A Stocks Bonds Currencies Commodities Futures Funds peHUB World World Home U.S. Brazil China Euro Zone Japan Mexico Russia India Insight World Video Reuters Investigates Decoder Politics Politics Home Election 2012 Issues 2012 Candidates 2012 Tales from the Trail Political Punchlines Supreme Court Politics Video Tech Technology Home MediaFile Science Tech Video Tech Tonic Social Pulse Opinion Opinion Home Chrystia Freeland John Lloyd Felix Salmon Jack Shafer David Rohde Bernd Debusmann Nader Mousavizadeh Lucy P. Marcus David Cay Johnston Bethany McLean Edward Hadas Hugo Dixon Ian Bremmer Lawrence Summers Susan Glasser The Great Debate Steven Brill Jack & Suzy Welch Frederick Kempe Christopher Papagianis Breakingviews Equities Credit Private Equity M&A Macro & Markets Politics Breakingviews Video Money Money Home Tax Break Lipper Awards 2012 Global Investing MuniLand Unstructured Finance Linda Stern Mark Miller John Wasik James Saft Analyst Research Alerts Watchlist Portfolio Stock Screener Fund Screener Personal Finance Video Money Clip Investing 201 Life Health Sports Arts Faithworld Business Traveler Entertainment Oddly Enough Lifestyle Video Pictures Pictures Home Reuters Photographers Full Focus Video Reuters TV Reuters News Article Comments (2) Full Focus Editor's Choice Our best photos from the last 24 hours. See more Images of April Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read Russia tests new missile, in warning over U.S. shield 23 May 2012 Shareholders sue Facebook, NYSE comes calling | 1:51am EDT HP to lay off 27,000, profit slides 31 percent | 4:02am EDT EU urges Greece to stay in euro, plans for possible exit | 4:11am EDT Nuclear sub catches fire in Maine Naval shipyard 23 May 2012 Discussed 175 Iran attack decision nears, Israeli elite locks down 149 Exclusive: U.S. lets China bypass Wall Street for Treasury orders 118 Obama presses ailing Europe to focus on growth Watched A look at the UK’s most beautiful face Thu, May 10 2012 Madrid, Tokyo, Istanbul in race for 2020 Olympics Wed, May 23 2012 Apple plans fatter iPhone 5 to choke market-hungry Samsung Thu, May 17 2012 Pictures Reuters Photojournalism Our day's top images, in-depth photo essays and offbeat slices of life. See the best of Reuters photography. See more | Photo caption Maxim Hot 100 The world's most beautiful women as chosen by Maxim readers. Slideshow Joplin, one year after May 22 marks the one year anniversary of a deadly tornado that ripped through Joplin, Missouri, killing 161 people. Slideshow Insight: Iran's "Great Game" in Afghanistan Tweet Share this Email Print Related News Powers, Iran discuss detail of possible nuclear deal Wed, May 23 2012 IAEA chief says nears deal with Iran ahead of 6-power talks Tue, May 22 2012 Afghans back Chicago deal, warn West to keep promises Tue, May 22 2012 WRAPUP 4-IAEA chief says nears deal with Iran ahead of 6-power talks Tue, May 22 2012 IAEA chief says close to deal with Iran Tue, May 22 2012 Analysis & Opinion Don’t forget Iran’s record of deception For a fistful of dollars, America and Pakistan wrangle Related Topics World » Afghanistan » Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai (L) walks with his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad before an official meeting in Tehran March 26, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Stringer By Amie Ferris-Rotman KABUL | Thu May 24, 2012 3:56am EDT KABUL (Reuters) - With most foreign combat troops set to withdraw from Afghanistan by 2014, Iran is using the media in the war-ravaged nation to gain influence, a worrying issue for Washington. Nearly a third of Afghanistan's media is backed by Iran, either financially or through providing content, Afghan officials and media groups say. "What Iran wants, what they are striving at, is a power base in Afghanistan that can counter American influence," said a senior government official, who like others for this report, spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. "They are without a doubt doing this through supporting and funding our media." Iran spends $100 million a year in Afghanistan, much of it on the media, civil society projects and religious schools, says Daud Moradian, a former foreign ministry advisor who now teaches at the American University in Kabul. "It is using Afghanistan to send a message to America that it can't be messed with. Afghanistan becomes a managed battlefield as a result." Officials in Tehran could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts and the Iranian embassy in Kabul said it was not prepared to talk about the issues raised in this report. NEW STRATEGIC PACT The landmark agreement NATO leaders sealed this week in Chicago, handing control of Afghanistan over to its own security forces by the middle of next year, puts the Western alliance on an "irreversible" path out of the unpopular, decade-long war. Some security analysts say the withdrawal could lead to increasing instability and then to civil war -- and an opportunity for Iran and others to move into the resulting power vacuum. When the Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989 following a decade-long occupation and the pro-Moscow government in Kabul collapsed, Afghanistan's neighbors moved in to arm and fund proxies to gain regional influence as the country plunged into civil war. Although Kabul's ties with Tehran have seen sporadic improvement after the 2001 ouster of the Taliban, which had emerged triumphant after the civil war, the relationship is combustible. The latest flashpoint is the recent signing of a long-term strategic agreement between the United States and Afghanistan. Though vague on details, the pact was meant to signal U.S. financial and security commitments to Afghanistan through 2024 - particularly for funding the large Afghan National Army. Iran, whose frayed ties with the United States have worsened over its disputed nuclear programme, sees the pact as a threat. Iranian-backed media in Afghanistan responded by churning out reports critical of the agreement, and Tehran's ambassador to Afghanistan Abu Fazel Zohrawand threatened to expel Iran's one million Afghan refugees if the pact was not rejected. IRAN'S TALKING HEADS Afghanistan's intelligence department, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), had earlier gone public with Iran's alleged meddling in the media, saying that weekly newspaper Ensaf and TV channels Tamadon and Noor had received financial support from Iran. A journalist who recently left Tamadon TV, owned by Afghanistan's most prominent Shi'ite cleric Ayatollah Mohammed Asef Mohseni, told Reuters that while the station never confirmed it was getting support from Tehran "it was obvious". "My salary of $600 a month would fluctuate dramatically, as it was pegged to Iran's rial," said the 23-year-old, one of 200 employees at Tamadon, where he worked for four years before resigning over fears his employment would land him in trouble with Afghan authorities. "Our office is full of posters calling for protests against the strategic pact with America. We'd invite pro-Iran analysts onto our shows saying Iran was the only one who could help Afghanistan with food and supplies," said the recent graduate, dressed in a tight black long-sleeved t-shirt and jeans. Tamadon TV dismissed the claims of Iranian backing as an "insult". Editor in chief Mohammad Rahmati said the station was targeted "because we show core Islamic values; we don't show half-naked dancing women". GREAT GAME Afghanistan has been so much a focus of big power rivalry over the past 200 years -- a failed British occupation in the mid-19th century, the failed Russian one in the 1980s, for example -- it has its own historical sobriquet, "The Great Game". As the United States prepares for its own dispirited withdrawal from Afghanistan, it is worried about Iran gaining a strategic advantage in Afghanistan, after seeing Tehran win influence in Iraq following the 2003 U.S. invasion. More than half of the 171 TV, satellite channels and radio stations licensed to broadcast in Iraq today are funded by Iran, with others backed by the United States and Arabic Gulf countries, government communications officials say. Iran's media strategy is but one strand in a multi-pronged projection of "soft power" into Afghanistan. The two countries share cultural, language and historical links -- for centuries they were part of the ancient Persian empire -- as well as a long and porous border. Iran said in 2010 it has provided some $500 million in official assistance for reconstruction projects. Tehran has built religious schools for Afghan Shi'ites, who comprise a fifth of Sunni-majority Afghanistan's 30 million people. Iran may even have MPs on its payroll. An Afghan official who declined to be identified told Reuters that up to 44 of the 249 members of the Afghan parliament are suspected of receiving money from Iran. Iran has not responded to those allegations, which have also been aired in the Afghan media. EFFORTS INTENSIFIED Iran's vehement opposition to the new strategic pact with the United States appears to have intensified efforts to influence public opinion about it. Ensaf newspaper, one of the three media outlets the government has said receives funding from Iran, and whose parent company Avapress has offices in Tehran, has published six critical articles on the pact since it was signed by President Barack Obama on a whistle-stop visit to Kabul on May 2. The three media outlets feature news reports that hold little interest for Afghans, but are important to Iran, using the same messages and wordage carried by Iranian state media. The state of Israel, for instance, is called "the Zionist regime", a term Afghan officials generally avoid using. "The fact is the stories broadcast have been made available by Iranian sources for propaganda purposes", Loftullah Mashal, a spokesman for the intelligence agency NDS, said last month. The NDS later retracted that claim. Iran first started attempting to influence Afghan affairs through the media in 2006, said Abdul Mujeeb Khalvatgar, executive director of the Afghan media development group Nai. "The pace has been quickening since 2011, which is when Iran began to actually inject its viewpoint into Afghan media," he said. Last year, Afghans were shocked when Tamadon TV broadcast a live speech by Iran's parliament speaker Ali Larijani criticizing the presence of Western troops in Afghanistan. Kabul is countering with its own pressure. The Kabul-based reporter of Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency, Abdul Hakimi, was arrested two weeks ago on charges of spying, Afghan officials said. The NDS declined to comment. The relatively large, often Western-backed press corps can also face intimidation, abduction or even death for reporting on issues such as corruption and other government failings. Afghanistan ranks seventh on the Committee to Protect Journalists' "Impunity Index", a listing of countries where journalists are killed regularly and governments fail to solve the crimes. One man who says he is painfully familiar with Iranian interference is author and journalist Razaq Mamoon. He says a masked man who threw acid in his face in January of last year was working for Tehran. The Iranian embassy in Kabul has not commented on his allegations. Though media reports at the time said his assailant staged the attack over a soured love affair, Mamoon says his 2010 book which accuses Iran of sabotage and espionage in Afghanistan, motivated Iranian intelligence agencies to attack him. "Those individuals who planned the attack on me are still in power and their Iranian spy agencies are still very active in Kabul," Mamoon, who now lives in New Delhi out of fear for his safety, told Reuters in e-mailed comments. (This story has been refiled to change last sub-head) (Additional reporting by Hamid Shalizi, Mirwais Harooni and Abdul Aziz Ibrahimi in KABUL, Yeganeh Torbati in LONDON and Patrick Markey in BAGHDAD; Editing by Michael Georgy and Bill Tarrant) World Afghanistan Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (2) SvenBolin wrote: Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Back to top Reuters.com Business Markets World Politics Technology Opinion Money Pictures Videos Site Index Legal Bankruptcy Law California Legal New York Legal Securities Law Support & Contact Support Corrections Connect with Reuters Twitter Facebook LinkedIn RSS Podcast Newsletters Mobile About Privacy Policy Terms of Use AdChoices Copyright Our Flagship financial information platform incorporating Reuters Insider An ultra-low latency infrastructure for electronic trading and data distribution A connected approach to governance, risk and compliance Our next generation legal research platform Our global tax workstation Thomsonreuters.com About Thomson Reuters Investor Relations Careers Contact Us Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Thursday, 24 May 2012
General says Afghanistan will need combat power |
Piers Morgan showed journalist how to hack phone |
China activist worried about nephew's legal plight |
Mexico opposition party chides ex-governor in drug probe |
Tunisian prosecutor demands death penalty for Ben Ali |
Russian rights chief urges Putin to veto protest law |
Russia tests new missile, in warning over U.S. shield |
HP to lay off about 27,000, eyes over $3 billion savings |
Jury deals blow to Oracle in case vs. Google |
Apple: U.S. e-book lawsuit fundamentally flawed |
Pandora Media raises outlook as more people tune in |
Dell's strategy questioned as shares dive |
NetApp's revenue forecast below estimates, stock drops |
With kids, career, no time to direct, says Brad Pitt |
Adam Lambert boots Underwood from Billboard No. 1 |
Oprah expands online with Huffington Post |
Gunter Sachs' collection fetches $65.5 million at auction |
Egyptians back at the polls to pick president |
Iran nuclear talks enter second day |
Suu Kyi to make first trip out of Myanmar in 24 years: party |
Insight: Iran's Great Game in Afghanistan |
Brother of blind China activist flees village |
Anti-African street violence surges in Israel |
Analysis: South Africa's new security laws: who will they protect? |
Child addicts at heart of Indonesia anti-smoking suit |
Divided Syrian opposition to choose new leader |
Polish parliament approves higher retirement age |
As rivals falter, Lenovo has emerging market edge |
Intel eyes future with computers that learn |
Taiwan's UMC says to invest $8 billion in 12-inch wafer fab |
Renesas says to tie up with TSMC in chip business |
Sharp, Hon Hai to jointly make panels in China -Nikkei |
RIM's head of global sales leaving BlackBerry maker |
HP to lay off 27,000, profit slides 31 percent |
Jury deals big blow to Oracle in Android case versus Google |
Intersil to cut jobs as costs mount |
Phillip Phillips crowned American Idol |
With kids, career, no time to direct, says Brad Pitt |
Summer's I Feel Love, other tunes join U.S. archives |
U.N. report says both sides in Syria abuse rights |
Euro zone citizens want to keep common currency: poll |
Yemeni army kills 33 militants in south |
Iran, big powers extend talks despite split over sanctions |
U.S. drone strike kills 10 in northwest Pakistan: officials |
Buried letter helps solve 13-year South Africa murder |
Berlusconi paid for sex, witness tells court |
Huawei seeks EU action against InterDigital patent fees |
Analysis: Hard-up telcos get stingy with mobile give-aways |
EU court to rule on $1.1 billion Microsoft fine on June 27 |
Exclusive: Fidelity facing thousands hit by Facebook woes |
BlackBerry stock falls after sales chief resigns |
China's CIC eyes up to $2 billion stake in Alibaba Group: sources |
Brokerages cut NetApp rating, target on weak outlook |
Kidman oversexed Barbie Doll in gritty Cannes film |
Elton John cancels Vegas dates due to infection |
American Idol finale gets record low TV audience |
Hay book fest marks 25th at Woodstock of the mind |
Sade brings it home with concert film and live CD |
Azeri rights row drowns out Eurovision Song Contest |
Cannes style flourishes despite soggy red carpet |
Kevin Costner back in saddle for Hatfields & McCoys |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01