Iranian FM Official Blames NATO for Rabbani's Assassination

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Iranian FM Official Blames NATO for Rabbani's Assassination

TEHRAN (FNA)- A senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official here on Wednesday condemned the US-led NATO forces in Afghanistan for the last night assassination of former Afghan President Burhanudin Rabbani.

Speaking to FNA here in Tehran on Wednesday, Head of the Iranian Foreign Ministry's Afghanistan Headquarters Mohsen Pak-Ayeen voiced deep regret over the cowardly assassination of the former Afghan president, and described Rabbani as a clergy Mujahed (combatant of God) who fought against the colonialist policies of such countries as England and the former Soviet Union.

He reminded that Rabbani also strongly opposed a security pact between Kabul and Washington on the establishment of permanent US military bases in Afghanistan.

"His assassination was aimed at an omission of a Mujahed who has fought for Afghanistan's independence for years and came as part of a chain of terror attacks which led to the killing of Davoud Zee and Ahmad Karzai," the diplomat stated.

He said those behind the terror attack on Rabbani's life aimed to pressure Karzai's government to consent to their demands.

"The NATO member states, and the US at the top of them, are responsible for this terror attack as they invaded Afghanistan under the excuse of establishing security and campaign against terrorism 10 years ago, but they have failed to restore security to Afghanistan.

"Foreign countries, headed by the US, are seeking to gain a permanent military deployment in Afghanistan and they martyr everyone who is opposed to their permanent presence, including Martyr Rabbani." Pak-Ayeen reiterated.

Rabbani was killed in a terror attack Tuesday night by a bomb hidden in a turban.

Rabbani was the head of a high-profile council called Afghanistan's High Peace Council formed of former and present senior officials. He also was Afghanistan's president from 1992 to 1996, when the country went through a brutal civil war. His government was ousted by the Taliban in 1996.

Fars News Agency :: Iranian FM Official Blames NATO for Rabbani's Assassination