“The war of words between the US and Iran has spilled into Afghanistan after US allegations that Iran is secretly supporting the Taliban insurgency. …On Monday [April 16, 2007] General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said coalition forces in southern Kandahar province had confiscated a large shipment of Iranian-made mortars and plastic explosives destined for the Taliban. He said it was unclear ‘which Iranian entity’ had shipped the arms. Yesterday his comments were echoed by the assistant secretary of state for south Asia, Richard Boucher, who said there were signs that Iran was involved in ‘unhealthy’ activities, including contacts with and supplies to the Taliban. ‘We don’t know exactly who is doing this and why but we know that these are Iranian-origin weapons that have shown up in the hands of the Taliban,’ he said.”
– Declan Walsh, “US Accuses Iran of Supplying Arms to Taliban Insurgents,” The Guardian, April 19, 2007