Ahmadinejad and Gates in Kabul

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seems to be enjoying the visits to his neighbors. First he went to Syria and now he just arrived in Kabul, by a curious -maybe- coincidence just before the departure of the American Defense Secretary Robert Gates. At a joint conference with President Hamid Karzai, Mr Ahmadinejad said that a solution for peace in Afghanistan was the departure of the foreign military forces. He said as well: “Our policy is full support for the Afghan people and Afghan government and the reconstruction of Afghanistan.” Earlier Mr Gates had accused Tehran of “playing a double game” of offering their friendship to the Afghan government while giving some support and money to the Taliban (wasn’t that what we wanted to do?). And Mr Karzai’s thoughts in all this? Perhaps playing both sides as long as his government gets financial and military aid. As he said: “We are very hopeful that our brother nation of Iran will work with us in bringing peace and security to Afghanistan so that both our countries will be secure.” But will Afghanistan ever be secure? Never mind what we have been told, it would appear security is not around the corner for the Afghans, nor for the foreign troops sent there by the will of generals and politicians.