Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad paid his second visit to Afghanistan since 2005, coinciding with a visit from US Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Ahmadinejad cited his reasons as ensuring the smooth passage of peace talks in the region, but he also too the oppertunity to accuse the United States of playing a ‘double game’ in Afghanistan – fighting the very insurgents that the United States had fostered during the soviet revolution.

These accusations came in response to the comments by Gates that Ahmadinejad was trying to play a double game himself – promoting a positive relationship with the Afghani government while providing support to the Taliban.

“As I told President Karzai, we think Afghanistan should have good relations with all of its neighbors, but we also want all of Afghanistan’s neighbors to play an upfront game in dealing with Afghanistan,” said Gates in an interview with the New York Times, discussing his concern for Ahmadinejad’s presence at the talks (http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/Irans-Ahmadinejad-Criticizes-US-Role-in-Afghanistan-87241502.html).

Gates arrived in Saudi Arabia on March 10 to facilitate talks with the Saudi Arabian government, largely over the topic of Iran’s controversial nuclear program. The United States, along with countries such as France and Great Britain have proposed a fourth round of sanctions against Iran.

Iranian defense minister General Ahmed Vahidi announced the successful launch of  a ten foot long research rocket carrying a mouse, two turtles, and worms into space on February 4 of this year. Its launch is worrisome to the United States especially because the same technology could be used to deliver warheads.

The launch of this rocket came just days after the announcement that the United States would be deploying anti missile defense systems to at least four middle eastern countries, including Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait.