Najjar: US, NATO aim influencing regional states, escalating tension

Minister of Interior, Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar, says decade long US-NATO military presence and occupation of Afghanistan shows that their main goal is infiltrating regional states and making situation there convulsive. Speaking to Head of Russia's Federal Drug Control Service Viktor Ivanov here on Tuesday, Najjar said poppy cultivation and drugs trafficking have multipled in Afghanistan since presence of the foreign forces there. He said this has inflicted heavy cost on regional states, including Iran and Russia. He added that Afghan government is unable to prevent drugs trafficking. “Such a highly alarming situation reveals indifference of the NATO and the US to drugs transit from Afghanistan,” said Najjar, while referring to the expansionist and ambitious policies of the NATO and the US. He went on to say that remaining indifferent towards growth in poppy cultivation in Afghanistan and drugs smuggling from the country, the US wants to keep the neighboring states busy. “Obviously, under such conditions, Iran and Russia, as two Afghan neighbors, are posed to destructive dangers caused by such problems as growth in number of organized crimes and terrorism,” he added. “We are now meeting under conditions when regional developments affect the world; this signs importance of Moscow and Tehran for each other in solving bilateral, regional and international issues,” said Najjar, adding that as two friends, Iran and Russia are now having the best possible cooperation in different areas, including campaign against drugs smuggling. Saying that the US’ role in destabilization of the region is “unforgivable”, Najjar opined that regional developments and the US provocative measures in interfering in other countries’ internal affairs have prepared the ground for growth in drugs smuggling, organized crimes and terrorism. Najjar arrived in Moscow on Sunday for a working visit to discuss with senior Russian officials variety of subjects, including security, drugs campaign and natural disasters control.