Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the West invaded Afghanistan with the main purpose of dominating the Eastern bloc, particularly Russia and China.
“Western powers dispatched troops to Afghanistan to prepare the ground for dominating the Eastern bloc. All their claims and pretexts for establishing security in Afghanistan are sheer lies,” said President Ahmadinejad in the southern port city of Bandar Jask on Thursday.
“They have deployed various military equipment and arms in our region, and claim that they have interests in this region,” he added.
The Iranian chief executive lashed out at the US and its allies for sending troops to regional countries, saying, “They (the US and its allies) wage wars and cause rifts in the Middle East in order to sell their weapons at high prices.”
A coalition of US-led troops invaded Afghanistan in 2001. The offensive removed the Taliban regime from power, but insecurity and terrorism continues to grow across the country despite the presence of tens of thousands of US-led foreign troops in the war-torn state.
The increasing number of troop casualties in Afghanistan has caused widespread anger in the US and other NATO member states, undermining public support for the Afghan war.
Overall, 3,021 civilians, according to UN figures, died in violence related to the war and 4,507 were wounded in 2011. Of the deaths, the UN attributed 77 percent to militant attacks and 14 percent to US-led foreign troops and Afghan forces. Nine percent of the cases were classified as unknown.
The United Nations announced on February 4 that 2011 was the deadliest year on record for Afghan civilians. The death toll climbed by eight percent compared to the previous year and was roughly double the figure for 2007.
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