Iranian Reformists Fear State of Emergency Declaration

VOA News ^ | Augustus 20 2002

[knighthawk]

Two leading Iranian reformists say they fear the country's ruling Islamic hardliners are preparing to declare a state of emergency to counter reformist moves to improve ties with the United States.

Karim Argandepour, editor of the banned daily newspaper Norouz, is quoted by Iran's official IRNA news agency as saying that some extremists in the conservative camp are seeking to create an "exceptional situation."

Mr. Argandepour and political ally Abbas Abdi say they base their fears on reports of a hardline letter in which some conservatives allegedly call for an emergency decree as a way of scuttling moves to improve ties with Washington.

Mr. Abdi is a top member of the reformist Islamic Iran Participation Front, the party headed by the brother of President Mohammed Khatami.

Rumors of a pending emergency decree have circulated for months in the Iranian capital, as Iran's hardline judiciary continues its crackdown on the reformist press and political tensions mount.

A Western watchdog group, Reporters Without Borders, says 10 journalists are currently jailed in the Islamic republic, where the judiciary has banned more than 50 pro-reform publications in the past two years.

Last month, a bipartisan group of American lawmakers called on the entire U.S. Congress to go on record in favor of a leadership change in Iran.

The group, headed by Republican Senator Sam Brownback and Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, is seeking passage of a resolution that would declare Iran a threat equal to or greater than Iraq.

Earlier in July, the White House denied a U.S. media report that said the Bush administration had abandoned efforts to find ways of working with the Iranian government. But a spokesman acknowledged U.S. concerns about Iran's support for terrorism and its opposition to Middle East peace efforts.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.

[knighthawk]

Ping

[knighthawk]

Iran, state of emergency to meet US "threats"

http://www.iranmania.com/news/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=11660&NewsKind=CurrentAffairs

TEHRAN, Aug 20 (AFP) - A state of emergency might be declared in Iran in order to protect the country against perceived US threats, the press reported Tuesday, with a leading reformist warning that such a move would constitute a virtual coup by conservatives.

"The possibility of a state of emergency (being declared) exists, and that would be a form of coup d'etat against the reformist camp," the Khorassan daily cited prominent reformist Karim Argandepour as saying.

"Certain extremists in the conservative camp are seeking to create such an exceptional situation," he added.

Argandepour is editor-in-chief of the suspended daily Nourooz, mouthpiece of the Islamic Iran Participation Front, the main pro-reform party headed by President Mohammad Khatami's brother, which has a majority in Majlis.

Abbas Abdi, a member of the IIPF central committee, was quoted by the centrist Entekhab daily, as saying "some people are seeking to create a state of emergency on the grounds of American threats.

A prominent former conservative figure and publisher of Entekhab, Taha Hashemi, confirmed that he had heard rumors that such a move might be in the offing.

"I have information about a supposed letter from conservative leaders calling for the declaration of a state of emergency," Hashemi said.

"I do not know if it is true. Whatever the case, the leaders of the regime always decide on the basis of the interests of the people and of the Islamic republic.

"If the leaders of the regime and of the Security Council come to this conclusion... they will notifiy the supreme leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei), who can take the appropriate decision, based on the interests of the people."

On Sunday Khamenei denounced what he said was the "cowboy culture" of US leaders and their threats against Iran.

US leaders' spirit of adventure is inspired by their cowboy culture," Khamenei said.

"If the Americans feel that they are confronted with a unified nation, they will hesitate to launch an adventure in Iran", Khamenei said, underlining that "it is necessary to take the US threats seriously.

"These threats have existed since the Islamic revolution, and they do not mean that a US attack is certain, but the realization of these threats depends on our behaviour", he said.

The United States is trying to "destroy the Iranian regime but it is a very difficult job", he added.

Iran remains the target of US-led economic sanctions and was listed by US President George W. Bush as part of an "axis of evil" along with Iraq and North Korea earlier this year.

A state of emergency has never been declared in Iran since the Islamic revolution of 1979, and none of the sources suggested what it might entail if it were declared.

[MonroeDNA]

Bump!

[Valin]

Two leading Iranian reformists say they fear the country's ruling Islamic hardliners are preparing to declare a state of emergency to counter reformist moves to improve ties with the United States.

Someone must be getting worried.
I wonder when the fire will start?

[knighthawk]

Someone must be getting worried</>

You can say that. When you look at the recent speeches by Iranian leaders, they aal say the youth must stand with them against the US. They are sucking up to the Iranian youth big time. They are afraid. And they should be.