America's North Shore Journal » Entries tagged with "Herat Afghanistan"
Iran Expands Influence
CNEWS HERAT, Afghanistan (AP) – From cheap ice cream to 24-hour electricity, Iran is strengthening economic ties with western Afghanistan that could undermine support for U.S. and NATO forces. Western Afghanistan has a newly paved 120-kilometre stretch of highway between the Iranian border and its main city, Herat, courtesy of the Islamic republic. Iran is also considering building a rail line on the busy route and has pledged the equivalent of another C$640 million to help rebuild Afghan infrastructure and businesses. “Iran is not going away from here,” a Herat-based western diplomat said. “The question is whether we can co-exist in this region together and realize that some of our aims might even be the same when it comes to Afghanistan.” Tehran has built 10 schools and several clinics in western Afghanistan, and paid for … Read entire article »
Filed under: Afghanistan, Iran, Rebuilding, War on Terror
