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RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
_________________________________________ ____________________
RFE/RL Iran Report
Vol. 9, No. 45, 4 December 2006
A Review of Developments in Iran Prepared by the Regional Specialists
of RFE/RL's Newsline Team
******************************************** ****************
HEADLINES:
* REFORMIST, FUNDAMENTALIST CANDIDATES RULED OUT OF ASSEMBLY ELECTION
* REFORMISTS REPORTEDLY DISQUALIFIED FROM LOCAL ELECTIONS
* PARLIAMENT SPEAKER WARNS OF RELIGIOUS DISCORD
* LEGAL, MILITARY AUTHORITIES PROBE IRGC PLANE CRASH
* 'FORGOTTEN VICTIMS' OF SADDAM HUSSEIN ERA AWAIT JUSTICE
* PILGRIMS TO MECCA URGED TO AVOID STRIFE
* AHMADINEJAD APPEALS TO AMERICAN PEOPLE
* U.S. OFFICIAL SUGGESTS SOONEST IRAN 'COULD PRODUCE' NUCLEAR WEAPON IS 2010
* IRAQI PRESIDENT VISITS TEHRAN
* LAWMAKERS STRESS IRAN'S REGIONAL ROLE
* RUSSIA DEFENDS ARMS SALES TO IRAN
* IRAN LODGES COMPLAINT AGAINST INTERNATIONAL SOCCER BODY
* WEIGHTLIFTERS MAY RESUME COMPETING
**************************************** ********************
REFORMIST, FUNDAMENTALIST CANDIDATES RULED OUT OF ASSEMBLY ELECTION.
Iran's Assembly of Experts is one of the country's most
powerful institutions, as the 86-member body has the power to select
and dismiss the country's supreme leader. But candidates for the
upcoming assembly elections have to be approved by Iran's
conservative Council of Guardians.
The council has decided that only one-third of the hopefuls
for the December 15 election meet the criteria to be candidates. Most
importantly, it appears that reformists and fundamentalists are being
kept out of the race in favor of traditionalists.
The vetting of assembly candidates by the Council of
Guardians represents a significant effort by traditionalists -- the
generation that has ruled the Islamic Republic of Iran since 1979 --
to fight back against a younger generation of fundamentalists that is
symbolized by President Mahmud Ahmadinejad and his purported
religious guide, Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi.
Abbas Ali Kadkhodai, a spokesman for the Guardians Council,
announced on November 28 that 163 candidates are eligible for the
upcoming election, Fars News Agency reported.
When registration ended in October, 492 people were
officially listed as potential candidates, meaning that only
one-third of those who applied to be candidates were accepted by the
Council of Guardians. Some races were left uncontested as a result.
The Interior Ministry published the lists of approved
candidates on November 29 and, on the same day, several political
parties issued lists of the candidates they will support.
Trends In The Rejections
There were complaints about those who were disqualified, but
Interior Minister Hojatoleslam Mustafa Pur-Mohammadi denied that the
reformists were singled out, "Hemayat" reported on November 29.
In the days preceding the announcement of eligible
candidates, several trends became apparent. The first trend -- which
is not unexpected -- was the Guardians Council's rejection of
pro-reform candidates, even if they were incumbents.
The second noticeable trend was the Guardians Council's
rejection of candidates associated with Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi, the
fundamentalist cleric that Ahmadinejad allegedly follows.
Qassem Ravanbakhsh, the editor of Mesbah-Yazdi's weekly
"Parto Sokhan," said that members of Mesbah-Yazdi's Imam Khomeini
Institute failed the eligibility exams, "Siyasat-i Ruz" reported on
November 20. They passed the written exam, he added, but failed the
oral tests.
"Right now, we are looking for independent candidates in
other provinces whose qualifications have been approved," Ravanbakhsh
said. "Of course, I must say that our list might have names in common
with the Qom Theological Lecturers Association." That statement can
only muddy the waters because it suggests that the fundamentalist
candidates might not be part of any known faction or they might be
backed by a mainstream theological association.
Mohsen Gharavian, one of Mesbah-Yazdi's students,
announced that although he registered as a candidate in Qom he would
instead run as a candidate in Northern Khorasan Province because
there is only one candidate there, "Ayandeh-yi No" reported on
November 16. Gharavian also claimed that he no longer cares to
associate himself with Mesbah-Yazdi supporters. The final Interior
Ministry list showed that Gharavian remained a candidate in Qom.
And the candidacy of Mesbah-Yazdi -- in Tehran -- was
approved.
Traditional Conservative Advance
As the Guardians Council eliminated reformists and fundamentalists,
it approved the qualifications of the traditional conservatives.
Then it moved these candidates to constituencies where they would
not face any competition, according to "Ayandeh-yi No" on November
16.
Moving candidates around is a new development, but the
vetting of candidates for elected office has been used often to shape
the course of politics in Iran. It is for this reason that the
requirements to serve in the Assembly of Experts have grown more
restrictive since it was first created in 1979. Of the 72 members
elected then, only 55 were clerics. This first assembly existed for
just a few months, and its function was to draft the Islamic
Republic's new constitution.
At the next assembly election in 1982 it was determined that
only those trained in and capable of interpreting Islamic law
(ijtihad), and therefore capable of recognizing religious sources of
emulation, were eligible.
Only the testimony of three well-known, high-level seminary
professors or Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini himself --
attesting to possession of the required skills -- was enough for
someone to qualify as a candidate.
By 1990, the regulations for candidacy were made even more
restrictive, and prospective candidates had to show proof that they
had acquired the rank of mujtahid (one who can interpret religious
law).
They would have to undergo oral and written exams unless they
were given an exemption from the new supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei. The number of selectors was reduced, furthermore, with only
the highly conservative Guardians Council examining eligibility.
These new requirements eliminated nearly every leftist cleric. A
reported 62 of 178 applicants failed, and seven withdrew.
New standards were added again for the 1998 assembly
elections. All potential candidates had to demonstrate the "proper
political inclination." Fewer than half of the 396 applicants were
accepted by the Guardians Council, but some incumbents were allowed
to run even though they failed the ijtihad examination, with the
Guardians Council arguing that Khomeini had previously approved their
credentials.
All of these restrictions and the limited number of
candidates for the Assembly of Experts indicate that these will not
be the most competitive of races, nor will campaigning for these
important elections be dramatic. If the traditionalists retain their
hold on the assembly they will have made a dent in the armor of the
political machine of Ahmadinejad and his followers. This will
undermine the illusion of fundamentalist inevitability, and it could
motivate other political factions to participate in the upcoming
parliamentary and presidential elections. (Bill Samii)
REFORMISTS REPORTEDLY DISQUALIFIED FROM LOCAL ELECTIONS. The names of
vetted candidates for upcoming municipal council elections in Iran
will be announced in the final days of November, some two weeks
before the actual voting takes place. Preliminary reports from around
the country suggest mass disqualifications of reformists in the
provinces, in contrast with official reports of inclusiveness.
Behind the scenes, factional disputes and competition are
preventing the formation of election coalitions, a development that
will hinder the reformist challengers.
Heshmatollah Falahat-Pisheh, a parliamentarian and spokesman
for Iran's Central Committee for Monitoring Council Elections,
said on November 25 that a final figure on the number of qualified
candidates is not available yet, the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA)
reported. He added that 700 candidates who were previously
disqualified were reinstated.
Reformers Approved In Tehran...
Six days earlier, Falahat-Pisheh said, "According to the
figures we received from some 28 provinces, the average
disqualification rate in executive committees was 11 percent in
cities and 5 percent in villages; and supervisory committee reviews
have reduced these numbers by 50 percent."
Tehran is considered the bellwether of national politics,
even though Iran is an enormous country of roughly 70 million people.
Falahat-Pisheh claimed on November 19 that all the reformists in
Tehran were approved as candidates.
According to Ahmad Karimi-Isfahani, a member of the executive
committee for council elections in Tehran Province, "All the
inquisitions and qualification assessments for the candidates of
Tehran have been finalized and it must be mentioned that 1,243 people
were qualified, 191 disqualified, and seven resigned from running."
Although reformists may have won approval in Tehran, there
are reports of widespread disqualifications of them in other parts of
the country. Referring to Shiraz, the capital of Fars Province, the
Islamic Labor Party's Abdullah Amiri said all the reformists were
rejected. Approving reformists in Tehran, he continued, is meant to
hide the disqualifications elsewhere. Moreover, Amiri said, the
reformists are unlikely to win in Tehran.
...Rejected In Provinces?
Also referring to the provincial disqualifications, Hussein
Kashefi, deputy secretary-general of the reformist Islamic Iran
Participation Front, charged that there is opposition to the holding
of legitimate elections. "They only wish to have some show
elections," he added.
Ayatollah Jalaledin Taheri-Isfahani, a member of the Assembly
of Experts, said on November 25 that all the prospective reformist
candidates in Isfahan were rejected.
In late October and early November the focus was more on
coalitions and rivalries than it was on individual candidates. With
the conservatives, there was talk of a competition between the allies
of President Mahmud Ahmadinejad and Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer
Qalibaf, who had run against Ahmadinejad in the 2005 presidential
race.
Qalibaf allegedly annoyed Ahmadinejad, his predecessor as
Tehran mayor, when he appointed Mohsen Hashemi as head of the Tehran
subway system. Hashemi is the son of Ayatollah Ali-Akbar
Hashemi-Rafsanjani, the former president and Ahmadinejad rival who,
for the fundamentalists, symbolizes corruption and a retreat on
Islamist ideology. The president reacted by not allowing Qalibaf to
attend cabinet meetings and by showing reluctance in releasing funds
for the subway's budget.
Linking The Conservatives
Around this time, there was talk of pro-Ahmadinejad and
pro-Qalibaf factions, and also of a more traditional conservative
faction associated with the Islamic Coalition Party. The entities
carried names such as the Council of Elders, the Council of Trustees,
Front for Followers of the Line of the Imam and the Leader, and the
Association of the Loyal Supporters of the Islamic Revolution.
Despite the different names, their memberships were sometimes
identical, "Farhang-i Ashti" reported on November 11.
The Islamic Coalition Party tried to put itself above these
conflicts and rivalries. Secretary-General Mohammad Nabi Habibi said
the party wants to serve as a link between the fundamentalist groups.
By late November, it appeared that the quest for a unified
list of conservative candidates remained unfulfilled. Hassan
Ghafurifard, former secretary-general of the Society of the Loyalists
of the Islamic Revolution, said, "with only three weeks to go to the
elections, there are still no clear prospects of attaining a single
list for the [fundamentalists]." He said the Qalibaf and Ahmadinejad
backers have their own lists.
Like the conservatives, the reformists are finding it
difficult to achieve unity. Fatemeh Karrubi of the Islamic
Association of Women said that her group shares many of the
reformists' views, but it will have its own list. She added that
there is no complete reformist list yet, but said one will be
announced at the end of the week.
The December 15 elections for municipal councils may seem
unimportant in terms of national politics. Although called for in the
constitution, council elections did not take place until 1999. Former
President Mohammad Khatami and other reformists promoted the councils
as an important step in the development of civil society institutions
in Iran, and voter participation in the 1999 elections was
noteworthy.
Disappointed In The Councils
The councils did not live up to practical expectations,
however, not least because they do not have any significant
powers or responsibilities. They deal with
construction permits, fire departments, garbage collection, parks,
public transportation, roads, and street cleaning. The central
government is responsible for everything else, such as education,
electricity, and the provision of water.
A recent commentary in a reformist daily -- "Mardom Salari"
on November 22 -- claimed that an Interior Ministry poll found that
less than 20 percent of residents of the country's medium and
large cities are satisfied with the councils. The councils were
criticized for their failure to consult with experts on urban
management and, on those rare occasions when they did, only
individuals who confirmed pre-existing views were chosen. The
councils' lack of long-term planning was criticized, too.
There also are accusations of corruption. Friday Prayer
leader Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati referred to this problem in his
November 3 sermon in Tehran. Some of the councils, he said, "are
governed by bribery," state television reported. "If you bribe them
your business will be sorted out immediately and if you do not give
in to bribery you will be running [around] for a year [trying] to
sort out a trivial business," he said. "If you do not want to pay
bribes you will be left behind doors for four to five years."
Despite these criticisms of the councils, there is stiff
competition for a place on them. Reformist parties see victory in the
council elections as an important step in regaining the elected
offices lost to fundamentalists in the parliamentary race of 2004 and
presidential race of 2005. The fundamentalists see the elections as
an important stage in continuing their winning streak and cementing
their hold on power. (Bill Samii)
PARLIAMENT SPEAKER WARNS OF RELIGIOUS DISCORD. Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel
on November 26 blamed strife on Iran's periphery to the
country's enemies, Fars News Agency reported. "Enemies of Islam
intend to exercise the same policy and sow discord between the
Shi'a and Sunnis in a number of border provinces, such as Sistan
va Baluchistan, Khuzestan, Kurdistan, etc., in a bid to hinder
materialization of the goals of the Islamic Revolution and prevent
our revolution from setting a paradigm for other countries," he said.
Nasser Bani Assad, spokesman for the British Ahwazi
Friendship Society, said the same day that Haddad-Adel is
misrepresenting the situation in southwestern Khuzestan where,
according to him, 70 percent of the population is Arab and 80 percent
of the Arabs practice Shi'a Islam, according to the society's
website. Locals' protests are not, he continued, "against
Shi'ism but against the regime's anti-Arab racism."
The province has seen fatal bombings and demonstrations over
the last 18 months; provincial television has broadcast the heavily
edited confessions of some bombers, and in March two were executed.
The UN General Assembly on November 22 voted in favor of a
resolution that criticized Iran's human rights record and its
treatment of minorities; the European Parliament had adopted a
similar resolution on November 16. (Bill Samii)
LEGAL, MILITARY AUTHORITIES PROBE IRGC PLANE CRASH. An Antonov-74
airplane being used by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)
crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran's Mehrabad Airport on
November 27, killing 36 people, news agencies reported. There are two
survivors.
Eleven people lost their lives when a military aircraft
crashed in January in northwestern Iran, and in December an Iranian
C-130 hit a building in Tehran, killing its 94 passengers and more
than 20 people on the ground.
Mir-Ali Akbari, deputy commander of the IRGC's Qadr air
base, told state television the aircraft was flying to Bandar Abbas
via Shiraz, and the cause of the crash is under investigation. The
commander of the IRGC, General Yahya Rahim-Safavi, discounted the
possibility of sabotage and said one engine fell off after takeoff,
Fars News Agency reported. This caused the plane to lose its balance
and a wing hit the ground.
Justice Minister Jamal Karimi-Rad said on November 28 that a
lawsuit relating to the crash will be filed soon, the Islamic
Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported. Filing a lawsuit, he explained,
is necessary for an investigation to take place.
Mohammad-Kazem Bahrami, head of the armed-forces judicial
organization, said on November 28 that there will be no ruling on
whether the crash was the result of criminal activity until a
technical report is ready, IRNA reported. Bahrami called for patience
while the matter is being investigated.
Meanwhile, four members of parliament issued a written notice
to the minister of defense and armed-forces logistics and to the
minister of roads and transport on November 28 reminding them that
they must investigate the previous day's airplane crash, IRNA
reported. Legislators Mohammad-Reza Mir-Tajedini, Eshrat Shayeq, Reza
Talai-Nik, and Jalal Yahya-Zadeh also advised Defense Minister
Mustafa Mohammad Najjar and Transport Minister Mohammad Rahmati that
they are obliged to keep the public informed about the case.
Alaedin Borujerdi, the head of the parliamentary National
Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said on November 28 that his
committee will investigate the crash thoroughly, IRNA reported. (Bill
Samii)
'FORGOTTEN VICTIMS' OF SADDAM HUSSEIN ERA AWAIT JUSTICE. The
head of a center for Iran's disabled war veterans announced on
November 26 that Iraq's former Baathist regime used chemical
weapons against civilians and soldiers some 300 times in the 1980s.
Two decades later, still suffering the long-term effects of chemical
agents, many of the 100,000 Iranian survivors of Iraqi gas attacks
continue to seek justice as they follow the trial of former Iraqi
leader Saddam Hussein.
They are described by many as forgotten victims of Saddam
Hussein. In many cases, they are soldiers who fought in the bloody
Iran-Iraq war in 1980-88. But many others were noncombatants.
Iranian authorities have registered more than 50,000 victims
of chemical weapons requiring special medical care. But it is thought
that about 1 million Iranians were exposed to mustard or nerve gas
during the war.
Hussein Mohammadian, a resident of Sardasht in Iran's
Kurdistan, is among those victims.
'A Special Smell'
Sardasht came under chemical attack months before the March
1988 attack on the Iraqi Kurdish town of Halabja, which became a
symbol of Saddam Hussein's brutality. But Sardasht received scant
media coverage, and was soon forgotten by many.
But Mohammadian has vivid memories of that hot afternoon in
late-June 1987.
"It was not the first time Sardasht was being attacked, but
the difference was -- and it became clear later -- that it was a
chemical attack," he says. "Some of the bombs fell only a few meters
from me. I thought our house was destroyed and my parents were under
the rubble. I started running toward the house, when I realized there
was thick smoke in the air and a special smell."
Several mustard bombs were dropped on the city, contaminating
some 4,500 people. More than 100 people died in the first month after
exposure.
Mohammadian says neighbors began coughing and suffering from
blisters. Some vomited, while others could barely open their burning
eyes.
Eleven members of his family were seriously contaminated.
Mohammadian was in such a critical state that he was transferred to a
hospital in Tehran, and then Madrid, for treatment. He learned of his
father's death only two months after the attack.
Lifetime Of Pain
Mohammadian, now 46, is a senior member of a nongovernmental
group that tries to help Sardasht's victims of chemical weapons.
He tells RFE/RL that the city still bears the scars of that attack
nearly 20 years ago.
"Many people have problems, including respiratory
difficulties and weak nerves -- their immune systems have become
weak," Mohammadian says. "The reality is that [scientists] have not
yet found a guaranteed cure for these victims."
Many have died of collapsed lungs over the years, and others
remain disabled.
Dr. Shahryar Khateri is a physician who has spent time
researching the effects of chemical agents on Iranians. He says many
survivors suffer from psychological symptoms, including depression
and anxiety.
Khateri was 14 years old when he joined the war to repel the
Iraqi invasion, and spent three years on the front lines. There, he
witnessed several chemical attacks.
"In one of them, nerve gas was used -- but we had atropine
cyanide injections and, fortunately, because of that our
contamination was not very serious," Khateri says. "In another
mustard-gas attack, we were some distance from where the bombs fell
and we used masks."
No Forgetting
After the war, Khateri finished his medical studies and got
involved in drawing attention to the plight of victims of chemical
warfare.
He says many survivors have developed chronic lung, eye, or
skin diseases.
"This is one reason why we believe [chemical weapons] are
much more destructive than conventional weapons -- because even 20
years later, those who at the time of the attack were not seriously
injured are slowly developing health problems," Khateri says.
Khateri is now the director of international relations at
Iran's Society for Chemical Weapons Victims Support (SCWVS). His
nonprofit group helps victims and is also active in peace exchanges
and efforts to eliminate unconventional weapons.
Khateri tells RFE/RL that Iran's victims of chemical
weapons feel the world has forgotten about them.
"There is talk of [Saddam Hussein's] crimes everywhere,
but there is not a word about the crimes he committed against
Iranians," Khateri says. "Sardasht is the first city in the world to
have been attacked with chemical weapons. When it comes to Iran, this
issue has been affected -- maybe because [Tehran] does not have good
political relations with some countries."
Khateri says many victims are glad to see Iraq's former
leader finally facing justice, but there is also disappointment.
"I -- and also many other survivors of the war whom I've
talked to -- are happy that [Saddam Hussein] is facing trial," he
says. "But we are disappointed that the attack against Iran and the
use of chemical weapons [against Iranians] have been ignored. I feel
this trial is not fair."
Unanswered Question
In Sardasht, Hussein Mohammadian holds out hope that Saddam
Hussein -- who has already been sentenced to death for the mass
killing of Iraqi civilians -- will also face prosecution for the use
of chemical weapons against Iranians:
Khateri wants to know as well: "Before his [death] sentence
is carried out, I would like him to answer a question: Why did he
order the use of chemical weapons, especially against the defenseless
people of Sardasht?"
In the minds of the tens or hundreds of thousands of Iranians
whose lives have been wracked by pain and suffering since those
chemical attacks, that question deserves an answer. (Golnaz
Esfandiari)
PILGRIMS TO MECCA URGED TO AVOID STRIFE. Speaking to worshippers
before the November 24 Friday Prayers in Tehran, Hojatoleslam
Mohammad Mohammadi-Reyshahri discussed the upcoming Hajj, or
pilgrimage to Mecca, the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA)
reported. The hajj is obligatory for all Muslims and is one of the
five pillars of Islam.
Reyshahri warned that there are efforts to create differences
between Shiite and Sunni Muslims, and he encouraged friendliness.
Turning to the Iranian-organized "Disavowal of infidels" event which
takes place every year at the pilgrimage, he said, "The slogans of
'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel' are the same
as those used for the disavowal of infidels and rejection of
polytheism in the world of Islam which are, with the grace of God,
being realized, and we hope to see the disintegration of America and
Israel in the near future."
Reyshahri has been the supreme leader's representative at
the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization since 1991 and leads the
pilgrimage delegation. In June 1993, Reyshahri was prevented from
returning to Medina from Mecca by Saudi authorities after Iranian
pilgrims held illegal demonstrations. Iran boycotted the pilgrimage
from 1988-91 because a 1987 Iranian rally resulted in clashes with
Saudi security forces in which more than 400 people died. (Bill
Samii)
AHMADINEJAD APPEALS TO AMERICAN PEOPLE. A translation of President
Mahmud Ahmadinejad's November 29 open letter to the American
people has been provided by IRNA and received coverage in Iranian
newspapers, state television and radio, and on Radio Farda.
Ahmadinejad discusses Palestine and refers to alleged
"persistent aggressions by the Zionists" there. "For 60 years, the
Zionist regime has driven millions of the inhabitants of Palestine
out of their homes," Ahmadinejad says, complaining that the White
House has given Israel "blind and blanket support."
Ahmadinejad then discusses Iraq, advocating a U.S.
withdrawal, before turning to the U.S. detention facility in
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He also notes U.S. expenditures in Iraq and
refers to the problems faced by victims of Hurricane Katrina, as well
as poverty and homelessness.
Ahmadinejad claims that judicial due process in the United
States is "trampled upon," and he adds, "Private phones are tapped,
suspects are arbitrarily arrested, sometimes beaten in the streets,
or even shot to death."
Ahmadinejad addressed a letter to U.S. President George W.
Bush in May that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said at the time
contained "nothing new...that would suggest that we're on any
different course than we were before we got the letter."
The more recent epistle received a similar reception from
Washington. U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey responded on
November 29 to President Ahmadinejad's open letter to the
American people by suggesting that "there's really not a lot new
here, and certainly it is something of a public-affairs or
public-relations effort on the part of the Iranian government,"
RFE/RL reported.
Casey dismissed Ahmadinejad's observations on Iraq,
saying, "If you look at Iranian actions towards Iraq, it's a bit
hard to take some of these things seriously when Iran continues to
actively work in a negative way in Iraq, including through its
support for violence, its support for militias, as we've
previously discussed."
An Iranian university lecturer identified only as Dr.
Moslehzadeh by state radio said on November 30 that global media have
falsely portrayed Ahmadinejad as a "hard-line and extreme person who
does not respect international regulations." Moslehzadeh argued that
the portrayal has only increased the president's popularity.
In the eastern city of Mashhad, legislator Musa Qorbani said
on November 30 that Ahmadinejad's letter shows Americans that
lies are being told about Iran, IRNA reported. "The letter will pave
the ground for a more objective public opinion on U.S. policies and
their impact on countries," Qorbani said. (Bill Samii)
U.S. OFFICIAL SUGGESTS SOONEST IRAN 'COULD PRODUCE' NUCLEAR
WEAPON IS 2010. Gregory Schulte, the U.S. ambassador to the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told the audience at a
November 27 event sponsored by the Austrian Institute for
International Affairs that Iran could build a nuclear bomb by 2010,
AP reported. "Our assessment...the assessment from our intelligence
community, is that the soonest they could produce a nuclear weapon
would be the beginning of next decade, 2010 to 2015," he said.
The next day, November 28, French Foreign Ministry spokesman
Jean-Baptiste Mattei said in Paris that France, Germany, and the
United Kingdom have transmitted a draft UN resolution regarding Iran
to China, Russia, and the United States, AFP reported. The draft
reportedly outlines sanctions against Iran for its nuclear
activities. "The general rationale of the text remains the same, that
is, to target Iran's nuclear and missile programs as well as the
institutions running them and the individuals in charge of them,"
Mattei explained.
In Vienna on November 28, IAEA director-general Muhammad
el-Baradei said that Iran needs to go beyond its legal obligations
and must "take the initiative" to prove that it has a purely civilian
nuclear program, Reuters reported. El-Baradei said Iran must explain
why it did not report some nuclear activities for a 20-year period.
"Much of that goes beyond [its legal nonproliferation commitments],
so the solution is not going to be found in relying on one legal
clause or another," Reuters quoted him as saying.
In Tehran the same day, Hojatoleslam Hassan Rohani, who is
Supreme Leader Khamenei's representative to the Supreme National
Security Council and who was the council's secretary for 16
years, said that referring the Iranian nuclear case to the UN
Security Council was a mistake, and furthermore, "has no logical or
legal basis," ISNA reported. Rohani said the IAEA is the proper
entity to deal with the issue.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Husseini on
November 29 rejected el-Baradei's calls for Iran to do more to
clarify the nature of its nuclear program, ISNA reported. Husseini
said the statements and reports of nuclear inspectors so far have
been "so transparent" that their "reconstruction" has given the IAEA
"clear perspectives" on Iran's program, ISNA reported. He said
Iran "had and has no hidden nuclear activity, and has...said all that
was necessary regarding its nuclear activities and installations,"
ISNA reported. (Bill Samii, Vahid Sepehri)
IRAQI PRESIDENT VISITS TEHRAN. Jalal Talabani, whose trip to Iran was
delayed a few days due to the closure of the Baghdad airport, arrived
in Tehran on November 27, Radio Farda reported. At a press conference
in the Iranian capital, Talabani said the main topic of his
discussions will be security and counterterrorism in Iraq. President
Mahmud Ahmadinejad pledged Iran's assistance in this effort,
saying that the violence in Iraq upsets all Iranians.
In a meeting with Singaporean Ambassador to Iran Gopinath
Pillai on the same day, Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said
Iraq's occupiers need other countries' help to extract them
from the "Iraqi quagmire," IRNA reported. He also criticized Israel
and advised Arab states to sever their diplomatic ties with it.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pledged his
country's assistance in Iraq to Talabani at a meeting on November
28 that was also attended by President Ahmadinejad, Iranian state
radio reported. "If the Iraqi government calls for our help, Iran
will spare no efforts in helping Iraq restore its stability and
security," Khamenei said.
He added that U.S. policies, which he described as being
executed by its intermediaries, are behind insecurity in Iraq.
Khamenei also dismissed suggestions of a Shi'a-Sunni conflict.
Khamenei said Washington has bitten off more than it can chew in
Iraq. The key to resolving insecurity, Khamenei continued, is the
occupiers' departure.
Talabani concluded his visit to Tehran on November 29, and
the two countries issued a joint statement wherein they each pledged
not to interfere in the other's internal affairs, to abide by
bilateral agreements made and registered with the UN, and to step up
cooperation, ISNA reported. The statement stressed the importance of
Iraqi territorial integrity, and Tehran committed itself to
supporting the consolidation of "democratic institutions chosen by
the Iraqi people" and of full popular sovereignty, also stating its
support for Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's efforts to bring
about national reconciliation and include diverse Iraqi groups in the
political process.
The statement also stated, according to ISNA, that Iraq
should implement its decision to expel opposition Iranian militants
of the Mujahedin Khalq Organization, currently based in a camp in
Iraq; that both sides condemned "the continued criminal and
destructive acts of terrorist groups in Iraq"; that Iraq should allow
direct air links with Iran and help with the opening of Iranian
consulates in Irbil and Al-Sulaymaniyah; and that Iran should, in
turn, help Iraq open a consulate in Mashhad, while Iranian firms
should be allowed to participate in construction projects in Iraq.
(Bill Samii, Vahid Sepehri)
LAWMAKERS STRESS IRAN'S REGIONAL ROLE. Mohammad Nabi Rudaki, a
member of the parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy
Committee, on November 29 urged Iran to play a more active diplomatic
and stabilizing regional role, ISNA reported. He said the Foreign
Ministry and the Supreme National Security Council must be more
active in helping "create stability and security" in Iraq,
Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Palestine. Rudaki said President Mahmud
Ahmadinejad should travel to states like Yemen, Turkey, Afghanistan,
and Jordan for talks, which "will to lead to more cooperation and
coordination in creating stability and security in the region," ISNA
reported.
Another legislator, Elham Aminzadeh, told ISNA the same day
that any international resolution to resolve the crisis in Iraq will
be "condemned to failure" if it neglects to "take Iran and
Syria's role into account." He said Iran and Syria would benefit
from stability in Iraq, so "Iraq's two neighbors are ready to
provide any assistance to that country."
Another committee member, Dariush Qanbari, told ISNA that
visits to Iran by the Syrian and Iraqi presidents are useful to the
United States and "serve to assure security in Iraq." He said Iran
could also use them to reduce U.S. pressure on it over its nuclear
dossier. (Vahid Sepehri)
RUSSIA DEFENDS ARMS SALES TO IRAN. Russian Defense Minister Sergei
Lavrov said in a November 27 interview in the German magazine "Der
Spiegel" that his country's delivery of the Tor-M1 air-defense
system to Iran is under way, Radio Farda reported. He described this
as a defensive weapons system that will not adversely affect the
regional balance of power, Radio Farda reported. Lavrov added,
according to Radio Farda, that he is certain Iran does not want to
build a nuclear weapon. Russia is building the nuclear power plant in
Bushehr, and Lavrov said this facility cannot be used for a weapons
program. Lavrov explained that Russia is providing the enriched
uranium for use there, and the depleted fuel will be returned to
Russia. Lavrov also advised against the imposition of stringent
sanctions by the UN Security Council, warning that this could push
Iran to leave the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. (Bill Samii)
IRAN LODGES COMPLAINT AGAINST INTERNATIONAL SOCCER BODY. The Iranian
soccer federation lodged on November 25 an official complaint against
Federation International de Football Association (FIFA) after it
suspended Iranian participation in international competition, Fars
News Agency reported. The Iranian federation attributed FIFA's
action to international politics. FIFA issued its ruling on November
22 due to what it called government interference in running the
sport, Reuters reported. FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation
had given Iran a November 15 deadline for reinstating the elected
president of the country's soccer federation, Mohammad Dadkan,
who along with his board was forced out by the government. (Bill
Samii)
WEIGHTLIFTERS MAY RESUME COMPETING. International Weightlifting
Federation (IWF) President Tamas Ajan said on November 27 that Iran
has agreed to pay a $400,000 fine incurred for its athletes'
abuse of performance-enhancing drugs, dpa reported (see "RFE/RL Iran
Report," October 9, 2006). Ajan said Iran will pay $100,000 up front
and the rest in installments. The Iranian squad was not allowed to
participate in the September world championships, when nine of 11
athletes tested positive, and the IWF statement means Iran can
participate in the Asian Games in Doha, which begin on December 1.
(Bill Samii)
****************************************** ***************
Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. All rights reserved.
The "RFE/RL Iran Report" is a weekly prepared by A. William Samii on
the basis of materials from RFE/RL broadcast services, RFE/RL
Newsline, and other news services. It is distributed every Monday.
Direct comments to A. William Samii at [email protected].
For information on reprints, see:
http://www.rferl.org/about/content/request.as p
Back issues are online at http://www.rferl.org/reports/iran-report/
_________________________________________ ____________________
RFE/RL Iran Report
Vol. 9, No. 45, 4 December 2006
A Review of Developments in Iran Prepared by the Regional Specialists
of RFE/RL's Newsline Team
******************************************** ****************
HEADLINES:
* REFORMIST, FUNDAMENTALIST CANDIDATES RULED OUT OF ASSEMBLY ELECTION
* REFORMISTS REPORTEDLY DISQUALIFIED FROM LOCAL ELECTIONS
* PARLIAMENT SPEAKER WARNS OF RELIGIOUS DISCORD
* LEGAL, MILITARY AUTHORITIES PROBE IRGC PLANE CRASH
* 'FORGOTTEN VICTIMS' OF SADDAM HUSSEIN ERA AWAIT JUSTICE
* PILGRIMS TO MECCA URGED TO AVOID STRIFE
* AHMADINEJAD APPEALS TO AMERICAN PEOPLE
* U.S. OFFICIAL SUGGESTS SOONEST IRAN 'COULD PRODUCE' NUCLEAR WEAPON IS 2010
* IRAQI PRESIDENT VISITS TEHRAN
* LAWMAKERS STRESS IRAN'S REGIONAL ROLE
* RUSSIA DEFENDS ARMS SALES TO IRAN
* IRAN LODGES COMPLAINT AGAINST INTERNATIONAL SOCCER BODY
* WEIGHTLIFTERS MAY RESUME COMPETING
**************************************** ********************
REFORMIST, FUNDAMENTALIST CANDIDATES RULED OUT OF ASSEMBLY ELECTION.
Iran's Assembly of Experts is one of the country's most
powerful institutions, as the 86-member body has the power to select
and dismiss the country's supreme leader. But candidates for the
upcoming assembly elections have to be approved by Iran's
conservative Council of Guardians.
The council has decided that only one-third of the hopefuls
for the December 15 election meet the criteria to be candidates. Most
importantly, it appears that reformists and fundamentalists are being
kept out of the race in favor of traditionalists.
The vetting of assembly candidates by the Council of
Guardians represents a significant effort by traditionalists -- the
generation that has ruled the Islamic Republic of Iran since 1979 --
to fight back against a younger generation of fundamentalists that is
symbolized by President Mahmud Ahmadinejad and his purported
religious guide, Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi.
Abbas Ali Kadkhodai, a spokesman for the Guardians Council,
announced on November 28 that 163 candidates are eligible for the
upcoming election, Fars News Agency reported.
When registration ended in October, 492 people were
officially listed as potential candidates, meaning that only
one-third of those who applied to be candidates were accepted by the
Council of Guardians. Some races were left uncontested as a result.
The Interior Ministry published the lists of approved
candidates on November 29 and, on the same day, several political
parties issued lists of the candidates they will support.
Trends In The Rejections
There were complaints about those who were disqualified, but
Interior Minister Hojatoleslam Mustafa Pur-Mohammadi denied that the
reformists were singled out, "Hemayat" reported on November 29.
In the days preceding the announcement of eligible
candidates, several trends became apparent. The first trend -- which
is not unexpected -- was the Guardians Council's rejection of
pro-reform candidates, even if they were incumbents.
The second noticeable trend was the Guardians Council's
rejection of candidates associated with Ayatollah Mesbah-Yazdi, the
fundamentalist cleric that Ahmadinejad allegedly follows.
Qassem Ravanbakhsh, the editor of Mesbah-Yazdi's weekly
"Parto Sokhan," said that members of Mesbah-Yazdi's Imam Khomeini
Institute failed the eligibility exams, "Siyasat-i Ruz" reported on
November 20. They passed the written exam, he added, but failed the
oral tests.
"Right now, we are looking for independent candidates in
other provinces whose qualifications have been approved," Ravanbakhsh
said. "Of course, I must say that our list might have names in common
with the Qom Theological Lecturers Association." That statement can
only muddy the waters because it suggests that the fundamentalist
candidates might not be part of any known faction or they might be
backed by a mainstream theological association.
Mohsen Gharavian, one of Mesbah-Yazdi's students,
announced that although he registered as a candidate in Qom he would
instead run as a candidate in Northern Khorasan Province because
there is only one candidate there, "Ayandeh-yi No" reported on
November 16. Gharavian also claimed that he no longer cares to
associate himself with Mesbah-Yazdi supporters. The final Interior
Ministry list showed that Gharavian remained a candidate in Qom.
And the candidacy of Mesbah-Yazdi -- in Tehran -- was
approved.
Traditional Conservative Advance
As the Guardians Council eliminated reformists and fundamentalists,
it approved the qualifications of the traditional conservatives.
Then it moved these candidates to constituencies where they would
not face any competition, according to "Ayandeh-yi No" on November
16.
Moving candidates around is a new development, but the
vetting of candidates for elected office has been used often to shape
the course of politics in Iran. It is for this reason that the
requirements to serve in the Assembly of Experts have grown more
restrictive since it was first created in 1979. Of the 72 members
elected then, only 55 were clerics. This first assembly existed for
just a few months, and its function was to draft the Islamic
Republic's new constitution.
At the next assembly election in 1982 it was determined that
only those trained in and capable of interpreting Islamic law
(ijtihad), and therefore capable of recognizing religious sources of
emulation, were eligible.
Only the testimony of three well-known, high-level seminary
professors or Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini himself --
attesting to possession of the required skills -- was enough for
someone to qualify as a candidate.
By 1990, the regulations for candidacy were made even more
restrictive, and prospective candidates had to show proof that they
had acquired the rank of mujtahid (one who can interpret religious
law).
They would have to undergo oral and written exams unless they
were given an exemption from the new supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei. The number of selectors was reduced, furthermore, with only
the highly conservative Guardians Council examining eligibility.
These new requirements eliminated nearly every leftist cleric. A
reported 62 of 178 applicants failed, and seven withdrew.
New standards were added again for the 1998 assembly
elections. All potential candidates had to demonstrate the "proper
political inclination." Fewer than half of the 396 applicants were
accepted by the Guardians Council, but some incumbents were allowed
to run even though they failed the ijtihad examination, with the
Guardians Council arguing that Khomeini had previously approved their
credentials.
All of these restrictions and the limited number of
candidates for the Assembly of Experts indicate that these will not
be the most competitive of races, nor will campaigning for these
important elections be dramatic. If the traditionalists retain their
hold on the assembly they will have made a dent in the armor of the
political machine of Ahmadinejad and his followers. This will
undermine the illusion of fundamentalist inevitability, and it could
motivate other political factions to participate in the upcoming
parliamentary and presidential elections. (Bill Samii)
REFORMISTS REPORTEDLY DISQUALIFIED FROM LOCAL ELECTIONS. The names of
vetted candidates for upcoming municipal council elections in Iran
will be announced in the final days of November, some two weeks
before the actual voting takes place. Preliminary reports from around
the country suggest mass disqualifications of reformists in the
provinces, in contrast with official reports of inclusiveness.
Behind the scenes, factional disputes and competition are
preventing the formation of election coalitions, a development that
will hinder the reformist challengers.
Heshmatollah Falahat-Pisheh, a parliamentarian and spokesman
for Iran's Central Committee for Monitoring Council Elections,
said on November 25 that a final figure on the number of qualified
candidates is not available yet, the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA)
reported. He added that 700 candidates who were previously
disqualified were reinstated.
Reformers Approved In Tehran...
Six days earlier, Falahat-Pisheh said, "According to the
figures we received from some 28 provinces, the average
disqualification rate in executive committees was 11 percent in
cities and 5 percent in villages; and supervisory committee reviews
have reduced these numbers by 50 percent."
Tehran is considered the bellwether of national politics,
even though Iran is an enormous country of roughly 70 million people.
Falahat-Pisheh claimed on November 19 that all the reformists in
Tehran were approved as candidates.
According to Ahmad Karimi-Isfahani, a member of the executive
committee for council elections in Tehran Province, "All the
inquisitions and qualification assessments for the candidates of
Tehran have been finalized and it must be mentioned that 1,243 people
were qualified, 191 disqualified, and seven resigned from running."
Although reformists may have won approval in Tehran, there
are reports of widespread disqualifications of them in other parts of
the country. Referring to Shiraz, the capital of Fars Province, the
Islamic Labor Party's Abdullah Amiri said all the reformists were
rejected. Approving reformists in Tehran, he continued, is meant to
hide the disqualifications elsewhere. Moreover, Amiri said, the
reformists are unlikely to win in Tehran.
...Rejected In Provinces?
Also referring to the provincial disqualifications, Hussein
Kashefi, deputy secretary-general of the reformist Islamic Iran
Participation Front, charged that there is opposition to the holding
of legitimate elections. "They only wish to have some show
elections," he added.
Ayatollah Jalaledin Taheri-Isfahani, a member of the Assembly
of Experts, said on November 25 that all the prospective reformist
candidates in Isfahan were rejected.
In late October and early November the focus was more on
coalitions and rivalries than it was on individual candidates. With
the conservatives, there was talk of a competition between the allies
of President Mahmud Ahmadinejad and Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer
Qalibaf, who had run against Ahmadinejad in the 2005 presidential
race.
Qalibaf allegedly annoyed Ahmadinejad, his predecessor as
Tehran mayor, when he appointed Mohsen Hashemi as head of the Tehran
subway system. Hashemi is the son of Ayatollah Ali-Akbar
Hashemi-Rafsanjani, the former president and Ahmadinejad rival who,
for the fundamentalists, symbolizes corruption and a retreat on
Islamist ideology. The president reacted by not allowing Qalibaf to
attend cabinet meetings and by showing reluctance in releasing funds
for the subway's budget.
Linking The Conservatives
Around this time, there was talk of pro-Ahmadinejad and
pro-Qalibaf factions, and also of a more traditional conservative
faction associated with the Islamic Coalition Party. The entities
carried names such as the Council of Elders, the Council of Trustees,
Front for Followers of the Line of the Imam and the Leader, and the
Association of the Loyal Supporters of the Islamic Revolution.
Despite the different names, their memberships were sometimes
identical, "Farhang-i Ashti" reported on November 11.
The Islamic Coalition Party tried to put itself above these
conflicts and rivalries. Secretary-General Mohammad Nabi Habibi said
the party wants to serve as a link between the fundamentalist groups.
By late November, it appeared that the quest for a unified
list of conservative candidates remained unfulfilled. Hassan
Ghafurifard, former secretary-general of the Society of the Loyalists
of the Islamic Revolution, said, "with only three weeks to go to the
elections, there are still no clear prospects of attaining a single
list for the [fundamentalists]." He said the Qalibaf and Ahmadinejad
backers have their own lists.
Like the conservatives, the reformists are finding it
difficult to achieve unity. Fatemeh Karrubi of the Islamic
Association of Women said that her group shares many of the
reformists' views, but it will have its own list. She added that
there is no complete reformist list yet, but said one will be
announced at the end of the week.
The December 15 elections for municipal councils may seem
unimportant in terms of national politics. Although called for in the
constitution, council elections did not take place until 1999. Former
President Mohammad Khatami and other reformists promoted the councils
as an important step in the development of civil society institutions
in Iran, and voter participation in the 1999 elections was
noteworthy.
Disappointed In The Councils
The councils did not live up to practical expectations,
however, not least because they do not have any significant
powers or responsibilities. They deal with
construction permits, fire departments, garbage collection, parks,
public transportation, roads, and street cleaning. The central
government is responsible for everything else, such as education,
electricity, and the provision of water.
A recent commentary in a reformist daily -- "Mardom Salari"
on November 22 -- claimed that an Interior Ministry poll found that
less than 20 percent of residents of the country's medium and
large cities are satisfied with the councils. The councils were
criticized for their failure to consult with experts on urban
management and, on those rare occasions when they did, only
individuals who confirmed pre-existing views were chosen. The
councils' lack of long-term planning was criticized, too.
There also are accusations of corruption. Friday Prayer
leader Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati referred to this problem in his
November 3 sermon in Tehran. Some of the councils, he said, "are
governed by bribery," state television reported. "If you bribe them
your business will be sorted out immediately and if you do not give
in to bribery you will be running [around] for a year [trying] to
sort out a trivial business," he said. "If you do not want to pay
bribes you will be left behind doors for four to five years."
Despite these criticisms of the councils, there is stiff
competition for a place on them. Reformist parties see victory in the
council elections as an important step in regaining the elected
offices lost to fundamentalists in the parliamentary race of 2004 and
presidential race of 2005. The fundamentalists see the elections as
an important stage in continuing their winning streak and cementing
their hold on power. (Bill Samii)
PARLIAMENT SPEAKER WARNS OF RELIGIOUS DISCORD. Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel
on November 26 blamed strife on Iran's periphery to the
country's enemies, Fars News Agency reported. "Enemies of Islam
intend to exercise the same policy and sow discord between the
Shi'a and Sunnis in a number of border provinces, such as Sistan
va Baluchistan, Khuzestan, Kurdistan, etc., in a bid to hinder
materialization of the goals of the Islamic Revolution and prevent
our revolution from setting a paradigm for other countries," he said.
Nasser Bani Assad, spokesman for the British Ahwazi
Friendship Society, said the same day that Haddad-Adel is
misrepresenting the situation in southwestern Khuzestan where,
according to him, 70 percent of the population is Arab and 80 percent
of the Arabs practice Shi'a Islam, according to the society's
website. Locals' protests are not, he continued, "against
Shi'ism but against the regime's anti-Arab racism."
The province has seen fatal bombings and demonstrations over
the last 18 months; provincial television has broadcast the heavily
edited confessions of some bombers, and in March two were executed.
The UN General Assembly on November 22 voted in favor of a
resolution that criticized Iran's human rights record and its
treatment of minorities; the European Parliament had adopted a
similar resolution on November 16. (Bill Samii)
LEGAL, MILITARY AUTHORITIES PROBE IRGC PLANE CRASH. An Antonov-74
airplane being used by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)
crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran's Mehrabad Airport on
November 27, killing 36 people, news agencies reported. There are two
survivors.
Eleven people lost their lives when a military aircraft
crashed in January in northwestern Iran, and in December an Iranian
C-130 hit a building in Tehran, killing its 94 passengers and more
than 20 people on the ground.
Mir-Ali Akbari, deputy commander of the IRGC's Qadr air
base, told state television the aircraft was flying to Bandar Abbas
via Shiraz, and the cause of the crash is under investigation. The
commander of the IRGC, General Yahya Rahim-Safavi, discounted the
possibility of sabotage and said one engine fell off after takeoff,
Fars News Agency reported. This caused the plane to lose its balance
and a wing hit the ground.
Justice Minister Jamal Karimi-Rad said on November 28 that a
lawsuit relating to the crash will be filed soon, the Islamic
Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported. Filing a lawsuit, he explained,
is necessary for an investigation to take place.
Mohammad-Kazem Bahrami, head of the armed-forces judicial
organization, said on November 28 that there will be no ruling on
whether the crash was the result of criminal activity until a
technical report is ready, IRNA reported. Bahrami called for patience
while the matter is being investigated.
Meanwhile, four members of parliament issued a written notice
to the minister of defense and armed-forces logistics and to the
minister of roads and transport on November 28 reminding them that
they must investigate the previous day's airplane crash, IRNA
reported. Legislators Mohammad-Reza Mir-Tajedini, Eshrat Shayeq, Reza
Talai-Nik, and Jalal Yahya-Zadeh also advised Defense Minister
Mustafa Mohammad Najjar and Transport Minister Mohammad Rahmati that
they are obliged to keep the public informed about the case.
Alaedin Borujerdi, the head of the parliamentary National
Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said on November 28 that his
committee will investigate the crash thoroughly, IRNA reported. (Bill
Samii)
'FORGOTTEN VICTIMS' OF SADDAM HUSSEIN ERA AWAIT JUSTICE. The
head of a center for Iran's disabled war veterans announced on
November 26 that Iraq's former Baathist regime used chemical
weapons against civilians and soldiers some 300 times in the 1980s.
Two decades later, still suffering the long-term effects of chemical
agents, many of the 100,000 Iranian survivors of Iraqi gas attacks
continue to seek justice as they follow the trial of former Iraqi
leader Saddam Hussein.
They are described by many as forgotten victims of Saddam
Hussein. In many cases, they are soldiers who fought in the bloody
Iran-Iraq war in 1980-88. But many others were noncombatants.
Iranian authorities have registered more than 50,000 victims
of chemical weapons requiring special medical care. But it is thought
that about 1 million Iranians were exposed to mustard or nerve gas
during the war.
Hussein Mohammadian, a resident of Sardasht in Iran's
Kurdistan, is among those victims.
'A Special Smell'
Sardasht came under chemical attack months before the March
1988 attack on the Iraqi Kurdish town of Halabja, which became a
symbol of Saddam Hussein's brutality. But Sardasht received scant
media coverage, and was soon forgotten by many.
But Mohammadian has vivid memories of that hot afternoon in
late-June 1987.
"It was not the first time Sardasht was being attacked, but
the difference was -- and it became clear later -- that it was a
chemical attack," he says. "Some of the bombs fell only a few meters
from me. I thought our house was destroyed and my parents were under
the rubble. I started running toward the house, when I realized there
was thick smoke in the air and a special smell."
Several mustard bombs were dropped on the city, contaminating
some 4,500 people. More than 100 people died in the first month after
exposure.
Mohammadian says neighbors began coughing and suffering from
blisters. Some vomited, while others could barely open their burning
eyes.
Eleven members of his family were seriously contaminated.
Mohammadian was in such a critical state that he was transferred to a
hospital in Tehran, and then Madrid, for treatment. He learned of his
father's death only two months after the attack.
Lifetime Of Pain
Mohammadian, now 46, is a senior member of a nongovernmental
group that tries to help Sardasht's victims of chemical weapons.
He tells RFE/RL that the city still bears the scars of that attack
nearly 20 years ago.
"Many people have problems, including respiratory
difficulties and weak nerves -- their immune systems have become
weak," Mohammadian says. "The reality is that [scientists] have not
yet found a guaranteed cure for these victims."
Many have died of collapsed lungs over the years, and others
remain disabled.
Dr. Shahryar Khateri is a physician who has spent time
researching the effects of chemical agents on Iranians. He says many
survivors suffer from psychological symptoms, including depression
and anxiety.
Khateri was 14 years old when he joined the war to repel the
Iraqi invasion, and spent three years on the front lines. There, he
witnessed several chemical attacks.
"In one of them, nerve gas was used -- but we had atropine
cyanide injections and, fortunately, because of that our
contamination was not very serious," Khateri says. "In another
mustard-gas attack, we were some distance from where the bombs fell
and we used masks."
No Forgetting
After the war, Khateri finished his medical studies and got
involved in drawing attention to the plight of victims of chemical
warfare.
He says many survivors have developed chronic lung, eye, or
skin diseases.
"This is one reason why we believe [chemical weapons] are
much more destructive than conventional weapons -- because even 20
years later, those who at the time of the attack were not seriously
injured are slowly developing health problems," Khateri says.
Khateri is now the director of international relations at
Iran's Society for Chemical Weapons Victims Support (SCWVS). His
nonprofit group helps victims and is also active in peace exchanges
and efforts to eliminate unconventional weapons.
Khateri tells RFE/RL that Iran's victims of chemical
weapons feel the world has forgotten about them.
"There is talk of [Saddam Hussein's] crimes everywhere,
but there is not a word about the crimes he committed against
Iranians," Khateri says. "Sardasht is the first city in the world to
have been attacked with chemical weapons. When it comes to Iran, this
issue has been affected -- maybe because [Tehran] does not have good
political relations with some countries."
Khateri says many victims are glad to see Iraq's former
leader finally facing justice, but there is also disappointment.
"I -- and also many other survivors of the war whom I've
talked to -- are happy that [Saddam Hussein] is facing trial," he
says. "But we are disappointed that the attack against Iran and the
use of chemical weapons [against Iranians] have been ignored. I feel
this trial is not fair."
Unanswered Question
In Sardasht, Hussein Mohammadian holds out hope that Saddam
Hussein -- who has already been sentenced to death for the mass
killing of Iraqi civilians -- will also face prosecution for the use
of chemical weapons against Iranians:
Khateri wants to know as well: "Before his [death] sentence
is carried out, I would like him to answer a question: Why did he
order the use of chemical weapons, especially against the defenseless
people of Sardasht?"
In the minds of the tens or hundreds of thousands of Iranians
whose lives have been wracked by pain and suffering since those
chemical attacks, that question deserves an answer. (Golnaz
Esfandiari)
PILGRIMS TO MECCA URGED TO AVOID STRIFE. Speaking to worshippers
before the November 24 Friday Prayers in Tehran, Hojatoleslam
Mohammad Mohammadi-Reyshahri discussed the upcoming Hajj, or
pilgrimage to Mecca, the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA)
reported. The hajj is obligatory for all Muslims and is one of the
five pillars of Islam.
Reyshahri warned that there are efforts to create differences
between Shiite and Sunni Muslims, and he encouraged friendliness.
Turning to the Iranian-organized "Disavowal of infidels" event which
takes place every year at the pilgrimage, he said, "The slogans of
'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel' are the same
as those used for the disavowal of infidels and rejection of
polytheism in the world of Islam which are, with the grace of God,
being realized, and we hope to see the disintegration of America and
Israel in the near future."
Reyshahri has been the supreme leader's representative at
the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization since 1991 and leads the
pilgrimage delegation. In June 1993, Reyshahri was prevented from
returning to Medina from Mecca by Saudi authorities after Iranian
pilgrims held illegal demonstrations. Iran boycotted the pilgrimage
from 1988-91 because a 1987 Iranian rally resulted in clashes with
Saudi security forces in which more than 400 people died. (Bill
Samii)
AHMADINEJAD APPEALS TO AMERICAN PEOPLE. A translation of President
Mahmud Ahmadinejad's November 29 open letter to the American
people has been provided by IRNA and received coverage in Iranian
newspapers, state television and radio, and on Radio Farda.
Ahmadinejad discusses Palestine and refers to alleged
"persistent aggressions by the Zionists" there. "For 60 years, the
Zionist regime has driven millions of the inhabitants of Palestine
out of their homes," Ahmadinejad says, complaining that the White
House has given Israel "blind and blanket support."
Ahmadinejad then discusses Iraq, advocating a U.S.
withdrawal, before turning to the U.S. detention facility in
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He also notes U.S. expenditures in Iraq and
refers to the problems faced by victims of Hurricane Katrina, as well
as poverty and homelessness.
Ahmadinejad claims that judicial due process in the United
States is "trampled upon," and he adds, "Private phones are tapped,
suspects are arbitrarily arrested, sometimes beaten in the streets,
or even shot to death."
Ahmadinejad addressed a letter to U.S. President George W.
Bush in May that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said at the time
contained "nothing new...that would suggest that we're on any
different course than we were before we got the letter."
The more recent epistle received a similar reception from
Washington. U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey responded on
November 29 to President Ahmadinejad's open letter to the
American people by suggesting that "there's really not a lot new
here, and certainly it is something of a public-affairs or
public-relations effort on the part of the Iranian government,"
RFE/RL reported.
Casey dismissed Ahmadinejad's observations on Iraq,
saying, "If you look at Iranian actions towards Iraq, it's a bit
hard to take some of these things seriously when Iran continues to
actively work in a negative way in Iraq, including through its
support for violence, its support for militias, as we've
previously discussed."
An Iranian university lecturer identified only as Dr.
Moslehzadeh by state radio said on November 30 that global media have
falsely portrayed Ahmadinejad as a "hard-line and extreme person who
does not respect international regulations." Moslehzadeh argued that
the portrayal has only increased the president's popularity.
In the eastern city of Mashhad, legislator Musa Qorbani said
on November 30 that Ahmadinejad's letter shows Americans that
lies are being told about Iran, IRNA reported. "The letter will pave
the ground for a more objective public opinion on U.S. policies and
their impact on countries," Qorbani said. (Bill Samii)
U.S. OFFICIAL SUGGESTS SOONEST IRAN 'COULD PRODUCE' NUCLEAR
WEAPON IS 2010. Gregory Schulte, the U.S. ambassador to the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told the audience at a
November 27 event sponsored by the Austrian Institute for
International Affairs that Iran could build a nuclear bomb by 2010,
AP reported. "Our assessment...the assessment from our intelligence
community, is that the soonest they could produce a nuclear weapon
would be the beginning of next decade, 2010 to 2015," he said.
The next day, November 28, French Foreign Ministry spokesman
Jean-Baptiste Mattei said in Paris that France, Germany, and the
United Kingdom have transmitted a draft UN resolution regarding Iran
to China, Russia, and the United States, AFP reported. The draft
reportedly outlines sanctions against Iran for its nuclear
activities. "The general rationale of the text remains the same, that
is, to target Iran's nuclear and missile programs as well as the
institutions running them and the individuals in charge of them,"
Mattei explained.
In Vienna on November 28, IAEA director-general Muhammad
el-Baradei said that Iran needs to go beyond its legal obligations
and must "take the initiative" to prove that it has a purely civilian
nuclear program, Reuters reported. El-Baradei said Iran must explain
why it did not report some nuclear activities for a 20-year period.
"Much of that goes beyond [its legal nonproliferation commitments],
so the solution is not going to be found in relying on one legal
clause or another," Reuters quoted him as saying.
In Tehran the same day, Hojatoleslam Hassan Rohani, who is
Supreme Leader Khamenei's representative to the Supreme National
Security Council and who was the council's secretary for 16
years, said that referring the Iranian nuclear case to the UN
Security Council was a mistake, and furthermore, "has no logical or
legal basis," ISNA reported. Rohani said the IAEA is the proper
entity to deal with the issue.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Husseini on
November 29 rejected el-Baradei's calls for Iran to do more to
clarify the nature of its nuclear program, ISNA reported. Husseini
said the statements and reports of nuclear inspectors so far have
been "so transparent" that their "reconstruction" has given the IAEA
"clear perspectives" on Iran's program, ISNA reported. He said
Iran "had and has no hidden nuclear activity, and has...said all that
was necessary regarding its nuclear activities and installations,"
ISNA reported. (Bill Samii, Vahid Sepehri)
IRAQI PRESIDENT VISITS TEHRAN. Jalal Talabani, whose trip to Iran was
delayed a few days due to the closure of the Baghdad airport, arrived
in Tehran on November 27, Radio Farda reported. At a press conference
in the Iranian capital, Talabani said the main topic of his
discussions will be security and counterterrorism in Iraq. President
Mahmud Ahmadinejad pledged Iran's assistance in this effort,
saying that the violence in Iraq upsets all Iranians.
In a meeting with Singaporean Ambassador to Iran Gopinath
Pillai on the same day, Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said
Iraq's occupiers need other countries' help to extract them
from the "Iraqi quagmire," IRNA reported. He also criticized Israel
and advised Arab states to sever their diplomatic ties with it.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pledged his
country's assistance in Iraq to Talabani at a meeting on November
28 that was also attended by President Ahmadinejad, Iranian state
radio reported. "If the Iraqi government calls for our help, Iran
will spare no efforts in helping Iraq restore its stability and
security," Khamenei said.
He added that U.S. policies, which he described as being
executed by its intermediaries, are behind insecurity in Iraq.
Khamenei also dismissed suggestions of a Shi'a-Sunni conflict.
Khamenei said Washington has bitten off more than it can chew in
Iraq. The key to resolving insecurity, Khamenei continued, is the
occupiers' departure.
Talabani concluded his visit to Tehran on November 29, and
the two countries issued a joint statement wherein they each pledged
not to interfere in the other's internal affairs, to abide by
bilateral agreements made and registered with the UN, and to step up
cooperation, ISNA reported. The statement stressed the importance of
Iraqi territorial integrity, and Tehran committed itself to
supporting the consolidation of "democratic institutions chosen by
the Iraqi people" and of full popular sovereignty, also stating its
support for Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's efforts to bring
about national reconciliation and include diverse Iraqi groups in the
political process.
The statement also stated, according to ISNA, that Iraq
should implement its decision to expel opposition Iranian militants
of the Mujahedin Khalq Organization, currently based in a camp in
Iraq; that both sides condemned "the continued criminal and
destructive acts of terrorist groups in Iraq"; that Iraq should allow
direct air links with Iran and help with the opening of Iranian
consulates in Irbil and Al-Sulaymaniyah; and that Iran should, in
turn, help Iraq open a consulate in Mashhad, while Iranian firms
should be allowed to participate in construction projects in Iraq.
(Bill Samii, Vahid Sepehri)
LAWMAKERS STRESS IRAN'S REGIONAL ROLE. Mohammad Nabi Rudaki, a
member of the parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy
Committee, on November 29 urged Iran to play a more active diplomatic
and stabilizing regional role, ISNA reported. He said the Foreign
Ministry and the Supreme National Security Council must be more
active in helping "create stability and security" in Iraq,
Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Palestine. Rudaki said President Mahmud
Ahmadinejad should travel to states like Yemen, Turkey, Afghanistan,
and Jordan for talks, which "will to lead to more cooperation and
coordination in creating stability and security in the region," ISNA
reported.
Another legislator, Elham Aminzadeh, told ISNA the same day
that any international resolution to resolve the crisis in Iraq will
be "condemned to failure" if it neglects to "take Iran and
Syria's role into account." He said Iran and Syria would benefit
from stability in Iraq, so "Iraq's two neighbors are ready to
provide any assistance to that country."
Another committee member, Dariush Qanbari, told ISNA that
visits to Iran by the Syrian and Iraqi presidents are useful to the
United States and "serve to assure security in Iraq." He said Iran
could also use them to reduce U.S. pressure on it over its nuclear
dossier. (Vahid Sepehri)
RUSSIA DEFENDS ARMS SALES TO IRAN. Russian Defense Minister Sergei
Lavrov said in a November 27 interview in the German magazine "Der
Spiegel" that his country's delivery of the Tor-M1 air-defense
system to Iran is under way, Radio Farda reported. He described this
as a defensive weapons system that will not adversely affect the
regional balance of power, Radio Farda reported. Lavrov added,
according to Radio Farda, that he is certain Iran does not want to
build a nuclear weapon. Russia is building the nuclear power plant in
Bushehr, and Lavrov said this facility cannot be used for a weapons
program. Lavrov explained that Russia is providing the enriched
uranium for use there, and the depleted fuel will be returned to
Russia. Lavrov also advised against the imposition of stringent
sanctions by the UN Security Council, warning that this could push
Iran to leave the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. (Bill Samii)
IRAN LODGES COMPLAINT AGAINST INTERNATIONAL SOCCER BODY. The Iranian
soccer federation lodged on November 25 an official complaint against
Federation International de Football Association (FIFA) after it
suspended Iranian participation in international competition, Fars
News Agency reported. The Iranian federation attributed FIFA's
action to international politics. FIFA issued its ruling on November
22 due to what it called government interference in running the
sport, Reuters reported. FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation
had given Iran a November 15 deadline for reinstating the elected
president of the country's soccer federation, Mohammad Dadkan,
who along with his board was forced out by the government. (Bill
Samii)
WEIGHTLIFTERS MAY RESUME COMPETING. International Weightlifting
Federation (IWF) President Tamas Ajan said on November 27 that Iran
has agreed to pay a $400,000 fine incurred for its athletes'
abuse of performance-enhancing drugs, dpa reported (see "RFE/RL Iran
Report," October 9, 2006). Ajan said Iran will pay $100,000 up front
and the rest in installments. The Iranian squad was not allowed to
participate in the September world championships, when nine of 11
athletes tested positive, and the IWF statement means Iran can
participate in the Asian Games in Doha, which begin on December 1.
(Bill Samii)
****************************************** ***************
Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. All rights reserved.
The "RFE/RL Iran Report" is a weekly prepared by A. William Samii on
the basis of materials from RFE/RL broadcast services, RFE/RL
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Direct comments to A. William Samii at [email protected].
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