Fuel Costs Spike In Afghanistan As Iran Flexes Muscle
Afghanistan's frigid winter has been made colder by some unneighborly actions by Iran: For a month, most fuel trucks bound for Afghanistan through Iran have been stopped at the border. As a result, gasoline and heating fuel prices have spiked, which poor Afghans can ill afford.
Iran says it's trying to stop fuel heading for U.S.-led NATO forces, which the U.S. denies. Observers in Kabul say Iran is showing its leverage with the U.S. Army next door.
But there have been side effects — anti-Iranian protests in Kabul, and even a rare protest in favor of the U.S. presence.