Gates regarding Iran arming Taliban: "I haven’t seen any intelligence specifically to this effect"

[sabra]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/14/world/middleeast/14gates.html

<snip>

Mr. Gates said he had seen new intelligence analysis over the past couple of weeks “that makes it pretty clear there’s a fairly substantial flow of weapons” from Iran across its border to assist insurgents in Afghanistan.

Commenting on potential Iranian government involvement in the arms flow, Mr. Gates said, “I haven’t seen any intelligence specifically to this effect, but I would say, given the quantities that we’re seeing, it is difficult to believe that it’s associated with smuggling or the drug business or that it’s taking place without the knowledge of the Iranian government.”

[Kagemusha]

1. Is Gates up to date on the explosive boom of opium in Afghanistan?

I'm wondering, because he is not a stupid man, but he sounds out of touch on this issue. It'd normally make me suspect that this is trying to support Burns and the neocons through the back door by saying that options other than Soviet-to-Viet Cong style aid are simply so improbable that they are unrealistic. But frankly, he comes from a different era and I wonder if he really has been briefed on just how HUGE that opium boom is.