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| Afghanistan |
| Iran's 'Great Game' in Afghanistan |
| 2012-05-25 |
| Tehran funding a third of Afgan media in attempt to gain foothold in country to counter US influence. With most foreign combat troops set to withdraw from Afghanistan by 2014, Iran is 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 Rooters 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 adviser 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. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #1 Iran is indeed a problem for the Afghans, and the challenges are not limited to the media. Infiltration of Pakistan, Iran in Afghan Medias: NDS He also said, a number of Pakistani spies are also working in Shamshad TV which broadcasts in Pushto language Officials in the Afghan Intelligence Department (National Directorate for Security) announced a number of the local TV channels and a News Agency was financially supported by neighboring Pakistan and Iran. A spokesman for the Afghan National Directorate for Security Lotfullah Mashal said, a number of the programs broadcasted by these TV channels and News Agency are displayed with a motive to disrupt the thinking of the Afghan people. Klik |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2012-05-25 07:12 |