thr 087 Iran-Afghanistan-Border /POL/  Iran to close border with Afghanistan as U.S. threatens to attack Tehran, Sept 15, IRNA -- Iran has called on the security forces along the eastern border with Afghanistan to seal off 900-kilometer joint border to encounter the consequences of probable U.S. retaliatory strikes against Afghanistan following the devastating attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, the interior ministry said Saturday. In a statement faxed to IRNA, it said military and police forces have been deployed along the eastern border to prevent the influx of would-be Afghan refugees into Iran in the aftermath of the probable U.S. attacks.

The interior ministry has also called on the governor generals of upper border Khorassan and lower border Sistan-Baluchestan provinces to continue cooperating with the domestic and international relief agencies by planning aid to Afghan nationals in that country's territory close to the Iranian border.

The hardline Taliban militia that controls most of Afghanistan, is harboring Saudi militant Osama bin Laden, who is fingered as the key suspect in those attacks.

U.S. President George W. Bush on Saturday for the first time singled out bin Laden, holed up in Afghanistan, as a prime suspect, and said he would have nowhere to hide. Fearful Afghans began fleeing the country as their hardline Taliban rulers vowed to wage war against anyone helping the U.S. launch attacks on the country and urged Muslims to fight to their deaths. Iran has shown sympathy and support to the United States following the attacks that collapsed the U.S. landmarks, commemmorating the victims by staging candlelit vigils and observing a minute of silence at a packed Tehran football stadium. NB/AK End ::irna 22:26

http://www.irna.com/newshtm/eng/24222652.htm

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), September 15, 2001

Answers

Close the border? Smart. But, the big question is how much further will they cooperate?

-- QMan (qman@c-zone.net), September 15, 2001.

We don't even know where OBL is? For all we know, he's sitting somewhere in Florida tonight, watching the whole show and laughing.

Not a pleasant thought.

suzy

-- suzy (itssuzy2@aol.com), September 15, 2001.