Replies

Movement endorses France decision on banning religious symbols from state schools

SMCCDI (Information Service)
Jan 21, 2004

The Movement has expressed its support of France's decision on banning religious symbols from state schools. This support has been expressed formally by Kaveh Mohseni, the SMCCDI's representative in France, and by Aryo Pirouznia, SMCCDI's Coordinator, in the form of Public letters or interviews made with French and Persian media.

Mohseni who has written a letter to the French President, on January 7th by supporting the conclusions of the official commission, and has made several interviews with French media sources, such as the "Proche Orient Info"; Has sent, today, a second letter for the attention of Mr. Staci head of the official commission by expressing the Movement's constant support and reminding him of the dangers posed by the religious fanatism. The SMCCDI's representative in France has requested the change of French policy in reference to Iran and this country's public support of the Iranian Nation in order to reach Secularity and Democracy.

"Your support of Iran's Secular and Democratic forces will be what will help to create long standing relations between our 2 people" he has stated in parts of these two letters available on the "Documents" section of the French version of this website.

From the other part, Pirouznia who was speaking, yesterday, to the abroad based "Azadi TV" denounced the Islamic regime's policy of demagogy and its constant try to enflame the religious feelings of naive believers. Reacting to the regime's governmental TV and statement, the SMCCDI's Coordinator stated: " The French decision has nothing against Islam. Banning of any religious or sectarian signs is a general French principle dating from 1905 Separation of State and Church in this country and especially from the Jules Ferry law intending to fight against any discrimination in public schools and buildings. This interdiction is not only for Islamic symbols, such as veil, but also for Christian, Jewish or even Anarchists signs in these institutions."

"the Islamic regime is here by simulating that this French decision is targeting Islam while the Mufti of Cairo has expressly confirmed that the measure has nothing to do against it. We're witnessing, here again, the correct reaction of some of the Islamist scholars as we are still witnessing the gesticulations of the Iranian mullahs and their Arab paid mercenaries in some European cities in a desperate try to detourn the attentions from the real source of problems meaning themselves... I hope that the mullahs actions and demagogy will serve as a lesson to those French officials who are making of themselves the "Allies du Diable" (allies of Evil) as they say." Pirouznia added.

http://www.daneshjoo.org/generalnews/article/publish/article_4672.shtml

Pressure on North Korea, Iran

1.21.2004

(CNN) --South Korea has given a cautious welcome to U.S. President George W. Bush's pledge to keep weapons of mass destruction out of the "hands of the world's most dangerous regimes."

Japan was more upbeat, describing Bush's speech as a strong message that the U.S. is committed to world peace.

Bush singled out North Korea and Iran in his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday and vowed America would not allow them to pursue WMD programs.

North Korea has been pushing for a lifting of sanctions, economic and fuel aid, and a security commitment from the U.S. before it gives up its nuclear ambitions -- repeated consistently since October 2002 when U.S. officials said Pyongyang admitted to secretly pursuing a nuclear weapons program in violation of a 1994 treaty.

The White House has refused the demands saying it will not be blackmailed into concession, and has been seeking to resolve the standoff via diplomatic channels in cooperation with other nations in the region. However, international talks aimed at finding a resolution have so far achieved little.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said Bush's speech reinforced Washington's consistent hard-line stance against weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their proliferation.

The ministry also said Bush hasn't dramatically changed his stance since he branded Iran and North Korea, along with Iraq, an "axis of evil" two years ago.

After applauding Libya for its disclosure and promise to dismantle its WMD programs -- achieved, Bush said, through nine months of "intense negotiations" -- the U.S. president admitted "different threats require different strategies."

"Along with other nations in the region, we are insisting that North Korea eliminate its nuclear program. American and the international community are demanding that Iran meet its commitments and not develop nuclear weapons," Bush said.

South Korea applauded Bush for contrasting the case of North Korea with the recent positive example of Libya and also Iraq's Saddam Hussein regime, which was toppled by a U.S.-led invasion.

"The U.S. president clearly sent a message that North Korea should come out to negotiate and not ignore the nuclear issue," ministry spokesman Shin Bong-kil said, noting Seoul had not yet fully digested the speech.

In Tokyo, Japan's foreign ministry also welcomed Bush's renewed promise to use multi-nation dialogue to try and end the North Korean standoff.

"We are pleased President Bush committed to international cooperation to the reconstruction of Iraq and also in resolution of the North Korean issue," ministry spokesman Hatsuhisa Takashima told CNN.

"The message was very strong and we are pleased President Bush not only emphasized the importance of protecting American people but he is also committed to world peace."

Japan -- a close U.S. ally that has been involved in diplomatic efforts to resolve the North Korean crisis -- has recently dispatched an advance team of ground troops to pave the way for a larger deployment of soldiers to assist in humanitarian projects in Iraq.

Hatsuhisa said the troop dispatch was proof Tokyo shared the same commitment as Bush in the reconstruction of Iraq as well as the ongoing fight against terrorism.

Elsewhere, there little immediate response to the State of the Union address.

North Korea and Iran did not immediately respond to the speech.

Tehran three months ago promised to halt uranium enrichment -- a key process in the manufacture of nuclear weapons.

But international efforts to ensure a fragile agreement negotiated in October to avert a looming crisis appear to be failing with experts and Western diplomats concerned Iran may be reneging on the deal.

There were no indications that any of China's government controlled television stations carried the speech live.

Internet news reports on state-run Xinhuanet.com focused on Bush's defense of the Iraq war as well as the continuing war on terror. The China Daily used CNN.com's coverage of the State of the Union address.

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/01/21/sotu.reax/

Straw to Meet Khatami in Davos Today

January 21, 2004
The Financial Times
James Blitz, Christopher Adams and Robert Graham

The British, French and German foreign ministers this week held a private three-way meeting near London in another indication of how the UK is seeking to boost its trilateral relationship with Paris and Berlin in the newly enlarged European Union.

None of the countries' foreign ministries gave any briefing on Jack Straw's private meeting with Dominique de Villepin of France and Joschka Fischer of Germany at Mr Straw's official country residence at Chevening in Kent on Monday night.

However, the meeting comes amid growing indications that the three countries are developing a co-ordinated approach to a variety of international issues, such as the possession by Iran of weapons of mass destruction and European defence and budgetary affairs.

According to one senior foreign office official, both Tony Blair, prime minister, and Mr Straw want London to hold trilateral policy meetings with their Paris and Berlin counterparts about every six weeks. Both men are thought to believe that when the EU enlarges to 25 members in May, business will best be done among small groups of nations.

"You cannot really discuss policy among 25. You can vote on it but not really have real, free discussion," said the official.

Developments in Iran are almost certain to have been one of the main issues discussed at Chevening, not least because Mr Straw is due to meet President Mohammad Khatami at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos today.

The tripartite mission of the British, French and German foreign ministers to Tehran last year led to Iran's decision to accept heightened international inspections of its nuclear programme, as an example of enhanced EU co-operation.

But the prospect of the Iranian authorities refusing to deliver on these pledges of nuclear co-operation has increased as hardline elements in the Tehran regime tighten their grip ahead of national elections.

The changing situation in Iran threatens to undermine the credibility of the three ministers' action in heading off a confrontation between Tehran and Washington on the nuclear issue.

Against this backdrop, Britain, France and Germany have every interest in examining ways to maintain pressure on Iran to comply with its diplomatic undertaking to halt developing the nuclear cycle for military purposes.

With the Pakistani government also cracking down on scientists believed to have passed nuclear secrets to Iran, Libya and North Korea, there is also a chance to confront Tehran with hard evidence of its plans to harness its nuclear programme to military ends.

France also remains deeply concerned about Syria's refusal to listen to any friendly advice over how to lessen US hostility towards Damascus. Recently Syria rejected an offer of talks with Israel and the Syrian regime still remains deeply embedded in Lebanon. But a tripartite mission to Syria would not be undertaken unless some gesture was likely to be forthcoming from the Syrian regime.

http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1073281184655&p=1012571727166

Torch Bearer for Iran's Pragmatic Conservatives

January 21, 2004
The Financial Times
Gareth Smyth

For the past week Iranian television has followed the parliamentary "sit-in" of reformist deputies after the Guardian Council excluded 80 of them from next month's parliamentary election.

In contrast to the sit-in, which has excited little public response, the news also featured a visit by Hassan Rowhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), to Paris for discussions with President Jacques Chirac over Iran's nuclear programme.

"Rowhani is doing real politics, whereas the parliament is just a skirmish," says a former Iranian diplomat.

"Rowhani understands we've suffered too long from ideologies, and that Iran should instead pursue its national interest."

At 55, Mr Rowhani is not well known in Iran, but he has solid experience and powerful allies.

Within political circles, he is expected to carry the torch of pragmatic conservatism in next year's presidential elections.

As secretary of the SNSC since 1988, he is trusted by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader. He is also close to Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, former president and influential head of the Expediency Council, which arbitrates between arms of government, the judiciary, state-owned television and the armed forces.

Mr Rowhani left parliament four years ago and is not a candidate in next month's election. Yet he may be its main winner.

The self-styled "new conservatives" are confident of a parliamentary majority that will give them a springboard to capture the presidency next year and so end the reformist era that began with Mohammad Khatami's victory in 1997.

They believe Mr Rowhani's growing public image as a man of action can reverse the trend of two heavy conservative defeats in consecutive presidential elections.

Even some outside the conservative camp agree.

"Khatami has been too nice - Rowhani will be more successful because his goal is improved administration and managing the economy, not a cultural revolution," says Saed Leylaz, vice-president of the government-owned Khrodro Diesel vehicle manufacturers, who has known Mr Rowhani for many years.

"We need a leader like Tony Blair, someone good at PR but who's serious and firm."

Siamak Namazi, managing director of Tehran consultants Atieh Bahar, says: "Rowhani is a credible person for the west and, crucially, is trusted by the system here."

The rise of Mr Rowhani has been steady rather than spectacular. Born in the central Iranian city of Semnan, he went to Qom aged 12 to study Islamic jurisprudence, rising to the rank of hojjat al-islam, one below ayatollah.

After a degree at Tehran university, he did a PhD in law at Glasgow university in the late 1970s, interrupting his studies to join Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's entourage in Paris as the 1979 Islamic Revolution loomed.

Mr Rowhani entered parliament in 1980, becoming head of its defence and foreign affairs commissions and deputy speaker. This brought him close to Mr Rafsanjani, then parliamentary speaker, who held executive responsibility for the 1980-88 war with Iraq.

The relationship between the two men unnerves those who see Mr Rafsanjani as a manipulator.

"Rowhani is not the decision-maker, the power is somewhere else," says a leading reformer.

"Even if the conservatives win the parliamentary elections and Rowhani becomes president, he won't be able to deliver in the face of opposition from hardline conservatives who think he's betraying them."

Reformists argue that leading Iran towards rapprochement with the west and domestic reform requires a vision that Rowhani lacks.

They say the "new conservatives" have simply stolen reformist ideas - including more relaxed social codes.

The new conservatives shrug off the criticism. "The reformers didn't have enough power to succeed. Any system resists change, and conservatives want to improve, not change, the system," says Amir Mohebian, political editor of the conservative daily newspaper Resalat. "This means we no longer insist on the form of the hijab (the veil), it doesn't have to be the chador (the head-to-toe garment covering all bar the face)."

"The reformers used to be popular because they criticised social restrictions," says Mr Leylaz. "But the moral police have largely gone and people are free in their private lives - so they're less interested in politics."

Iran's conservatives expect voter apathy to help them in coming elections. Internationally, they believe the US is less concerned with Iran's political system than with its nuclear programme, its influence in Iraq and its holding of leading members of al-Qaeda.

As SNSC general-secretary, Mr Rowhani has handled all these issues. While no one abroad sees him as a pushover - he insists strongly that Iran's suspension of uranium enrichment is entirely voluntary - there is also a sense that amid Iran's competing centres of power, he is a reliable negotiator.

"Many in the west like Rowhani because they think he can get things done, as indeed he has over the nuclear issue," says one diplomat.

"This means that in the short term at least, they may prefer an Iranian leadership that can deliver, even if it's not very representative."

http://news.ft.com/world/mideastafrica

Vice President Play Down Election Flap

January 21, 2004
Reuters
Parinoosh Arami and Parisa Hafezi

TEHRAN -- A top Iranian official said on Wednesday President Mohammad Khatami and his reformist cabinet were ready to quit but later made clear he was reiterating a resignation threat government officials made last week.

Vice-President Mohammad Ali Abtahi told reporters many ministers and vice-presidents had handed in their resignations over a hard-line ban on liberal candidates standing in parliamentary elections and Khatami could lead a mass walk-out.

But speaking later to Reuters by telephone, Abtahi said his remarks repeated the threat made by senior government officials last week and comments by Khatami that reformists should either stick together or leave together.

"It's nothing new. The resignation letters were submitted last week," he said.

Khatami and his allies have made repeated resignation threats in recent years in response to moves by unelected hard-liners to block their efforts at reform.

Other officials played down talk of a political crisis and said they were optimistic a dispute over the disqualification of thousands of parliamentary candidates would soon be resolved.

"The talks are ongoing and we are very hopeful it will be resolved," said one minister, who is among roughly 16 cabinet members who have submitted their resignations.

Abtahi stressed the election row could still be defused if the hard-line Guardian Council, which has barred almost half the 8,200 hopefuls from running in the February 20 vote, followed the advice of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who has urged a thorough revision of the disqualifications.

"The framework set by the Supreme Leader is very good and can save the country from the crisis," he told reporters.

Khatami, who is due to address the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, later Wednesday, told reformist politicians in a letter Tuesday he was optimistic about the chances of a fair election.

TALKS CONTINUE

The Guardian Council -- an unelected 12-member body dominated by hard-line clerics with sweeping powers -- announced Tuesday it had so far reversed only 200 of the candidate bans, about five percent of those it had originally disqualified.

Reformists accuse the Guardian Council of trying to help conservative candidates reverse their defeat in 2000 parliamentary elections to reformists, who currently hold roughly two-thirds of parliament's 290 seats.

"These methods (of the Guardian Council) can harm the principles of the (Islamic) revolution and democracy and turn the election into a sure thing," Abtahi told reporters.

Reformist parties, including Khatami's, have threatened to boycott the vote unless the bans are overturned. Dozens of MPs have held an 11-day sit-in at parliament in protest.

Another senior reformist, Vice-President Mohsen Mehralizadeh, said the political standoff had been exaggerated.

"I am convinced that this crisis, if you want to call it that, will be resolved and has no significance," Mehralizadeh told reporters after meeting Austrian President Thomas Klestil in Vienna Wednesday.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=4175064

Finally, an English translation of:
Plan For The Removal of The Islamic Regime.

This is an english translation of part of the plan of action proposed by BestOfIran.com during the 6 hour satelite broadcast on Sunday January 18th. Further english translations will be released by them shortly.

National “Black-Out” In Iran is the New “Silent Referendum”
For Unity and Solidarity Iranians are planning to Turn Off lights on every Thursday night (9.00-9.30 pm)

Why A National “Black-Out” Will End an Era of Horror, Terror, Torture, Murder, Human Right’s violation and theft of our National Wealth in Iran.

Since Feb. 1979, according to an international plan, a theocratic regime has been imposed on the Iranian people and our country. Most of the silent Iranians from the very first day, and by passage of time, almost 95% of the Iranians believe that this Islamic Regime is an Unwanted regime that doesn’t feel any responsibility with respect to the Past, Present and the Future of Iran and Iranians.

Shortly after the end of the imposed Iran-Iraq war, the majority of the Iranians who are living in Iran, started to oppose this barbarian regime that kills, tortures and murders the people simply by the verdicts of the uneducated mullahs that are dressed as judges. Amazingly, such a barbarian regime that doesn’t have even have one positive point in its past 25 years of governing Iran, has remained stable in its position and none of the international bodies have decided to act against it on behalf of the Iranian people. We feel that our compatriots who have shown their strong and powerful will to the world- have decided and will act in order to bring down this regime and weaken the support of their European supporters.

We want and we will act individually based on a global cooperation and decision. This means that, up to a critical point, we should act individually in order to minimize the possibility of the regime’s interference and after reaching that point we will gather as a united community in order to bring down this filthy regime.

A long study has shown that “Silent Referendum”which could take place by a “Black Out” at a pre-determined time and interval, will result in unity of the Iranian people. Base on declaration of the IOT members and their approval, since Jan. 22, 2004 (2 Bahman Mah 1382) all Iranians who believe that this regime should be removed from power, will turn off all their lights at home and workplaces (if private & possible) for half an hour from 9.00 9.30 pmon Thursday nights. No one should wait for others in order to follow him. Every Iranian should feel that he or she is a leader in this movement and should speak with at least two people in order to convince and ask them to do so. Now let’s see why this action is important in bringing down the regime:

1- The Islamic regime has caused the people to be fearful of each other and there are no other better tactics or instruments by which the Iranians could show their opposition to the world. Turning off the lights at a determined time and interval, will result in the unity of the Iranian nation inIran and abroad without any danger of being traced.

2- By turning off the lights in a pre-determined time and interval, the people will start to notice each others’ neighborhoods and will slowly start to build up unity among groups in different regions of each city.

3- If every one tries to convince 2 other people to participate in this “Silent Referendum” Campaign, then within 6 months we will see that more than 80% of the lamps will turn off as the best opposition signal of the people in each city. After this critical point, other plans will be announced that finally will result in a national unity. It is at this point that the Iranian people will be able to rely on each other for future tasks.

4- Also at the midst of that critical point, or even sooner than that, the Iranians that are living in Iran will invite the foreign diplomatic missions to witness such a huge opposition of the people against the present regime.

5- By Turning Off our lights on every Thursday night (9.00-9.30 pm) we will conduct weekly referendums in order to show the world that we don’t want this regime and that we want the cooperation of the UN for a free referendum in Iran.

If we want to be free of this regime, we should turn off our lights on every Thursday 9.00 – 9.30 pm, as a vote against the legitimacy of the present Iranian government. No one should wait and it is our duty to convince others to join us in this campaign.

The Committee of Domestic Compatriots

http://www.activistchat.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1084

http://www.bestofiran.com/frontend/index.asp

On Iran's Political Track, No Moderation Can be Seen

January 21, 2004
Ha'aretz
Zvi Bar'el

"Kill the butcher from Cairo," the conservative Iranian newspaper Jumhour-i Islami, which is close to Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, shouted this week. The "butcher" refers to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who, according to the paper, persecuted and also killed Islamicists in Egypt, and also maintains close ties with Israel.

The article comes at a time when Tehran and Cairo are on the verge of resuming diplomatic ties: Khaled Islamabuli Street in Tehran, named after the killer of President Anwar Sadat was renamed at Egypt's behest and is now called Intifada Street; and new trade agreements have been signed between the two countries.

Two days after the newspaper report, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher announced the resumption of ties between the two countries had been postponed "due to the circumstances in Iran." In Egypt, they understand that such sharp remarks appearing in an important Iranian paper are not an expression of freedom of speech, a concept that Egypt frequently refers to when its official papers criticize Israel or the United States. They suspect, with good reason, that such remarks are being directed from above.

But that is not the only reason the renewal of ties was postponed; Egypt wants to see how the current crisis between conservatives and liberals in Iran is resolved before it lands in the middle of the Iranian bazaar with a historic political gesture, such as renewing diplomatic ties. "We don't want to appear as if we are influencing political processes inside Iran at such a sensitive time," a senior Egyptian official explained last week.

Did the U.S. administration have a hand in the matter? The senior official denies this and cites the comments of the State Department spokesman who viewed favorably the meeting in Geneva around a month ago between Mubarak and Iranian President Mohammed Khatami and the plans to resume ties between the two countries.

Double-edged power struggle

Delaying the resumption of ties between Egypt and Iran is symptomatic of the nervousness surrounding the upcoming elections for the Iranian parliament on February 20. This is a double-edged power struggle: The conservatives want to recapture the parliament from the liberals who have been in control and also gain momentum for the presidential elections to be held in another year and a half - Khatami will not be able to run because, according to the constitution, a president may not serve more than two terms.

In the past year, the conservatives swept to victory in the local authority elections due to a political error by the liberals, who decided to boycott the elections because of the mass disqualification of their candidates by the Guardian Council, which is controlled the conservatives. As the parliamentary elections approach, the liberals will not want to repeat that mistake.

Ostensibly, the conservatives' behavior should not be much of a surprise. Prior to the previous parliamentary elections in 2000, many candidates were also disqualified. However, unlike those elections, where only 10 percent of the total number of candidates was disqualified, this year the Guardian Council dared to disqualify nearly half of the candidates.

The Guardian Council consists of 12 members, half appointed directly by Khamenei and half appointed by the parliament from a list presented to it by the court system, which is also controlled by Khamenei. Four years ago, the Iranian parliament decided to disqualify two candidates from membership in the committee and flexed a threatening muscle in front of the conservative establishment. This year, the Guardian Council showed the parliament who has more power.

Khatami: The presentable puppet

However, the power under discussion is not the kind of absolute conservative power that people tend to think of, just as "reformists" does not necessarily reflect a desire for Western-style democracy. There is also some kind of system of checks and balances in Iran. So, for example, you can see women wearing tight-fitting clothes and symbolic hair coverings that do not hide their hair; cafes where couples meet are not unusual; a billiard hall has opened in the holy city of Qum; card dealers on the streets are no longer afraid of the moral police; at the entrance to the police "welfare office" in Tehran, there are no longer hundreds of parents massed after the weekend to bail out their children who were detained by the moral police; watching satellite television stations is no longer cause for fear and even smoking in public during the month of the Ramadan no longer incurs a punishment.

All of these are "concessions on a personal track," as Iranian spokesmen put it. "On the political track," no moderation is visible. Three years ago, in one of his frank public statements, President Khatami said that "after three and a half years as president, I don't have enough power to implement the law, which is my greatest responsibility ... basically the president cannot stop the trend toward violence or enforce the law."

This not only Khatami's claim regarding himself, but also the claim against Khatami of Iranian citizens, who granted him decisive victories in two election campaigns. "Khatami has become the presentable puppet of Iran, but it's doubtful whether he is even able to wear the fine clothes that are put on the puppet," says an Iranian now living in Los Angeles. "There is very deep disappointment with his behavior as president and as someone who was given a mandate to change the face of Iran. If Khatami now feels that his policies are being torpedoed, then he should resign, create a political storm and smile shyly and continue in his position."

The arguments against Khatami are no longer about the fact that he is incapable of carrying out the reforms, but that he is no longer even effective as a "protest banner." After his arguments against the conservatives three years ago, it was not expected that he would run in 2001 and thereby indicate that Iran was in a deep crisis. But he continued in office. He did not resign, not even after the Guardian Council - the same council that disqualified the candidates and is responsible, among other things, for checking that laws enacted in parliament do not contradict religion - disqualified two laws intended to grant him wider powers. One law was to have taken away the Guardian Council's authority to disqualify candidates; the second law sought to grant the president the right to cancel legal decisions that are contrary to the law.

He also did not resign last summer after severe student protests, in which the students called on Khatami to resign along with Khamenei. And now, when he festively announced that if the conservatives do not allow proper elections because of the numerous disqualifications of candidates, he would resign - "If they have to leave [the parliament], we'll all leave" - no one believes him. In the meantime, Khamenei has entered the picture quicker than he himself had planned.

First he said he would intervene only after all legal means were exhausted, that is, when the disqualified candidates' appeals to the Supreme Court were completed. But the concern was that the crisis would trickle down into the street and Khamenei hurriedly "suggested" that the Guardian Council take another look at the disqualifications and in the event, he determined, candidates have already served in parliament should not be disqualified. The result is that the Guardian Council is now reconsidering all of its disqualifications.

Student silence

Khamenei again proved who can resolve crises and who is in control. It seems the reformists are also displeased with his involvement, which may perhaps prevent political scuffling that could be embarrassing for them. Previously, the reformists could rely on the student unions to mobilize masses of students to protest against the religious establishment. This time it turned out that the students had to be prodded. The heads of the student unions announced that at this stage they are not getting involved. Some student spokesmen even said there was no point in fighting any more on behalf of Khatami or the parliament because they are unable to bring about change.

The public at large in Iran is not aware of the dimensions of the crisis in Tehran. Government papers blocked mass publication of information and government radio and television stations concealed most of the details of the dispute. Foreign correspondents who have recently visited Iran say that in cities far away from Tehran, they did not even know about the crisis.

In such a situation, the reformists could not rely on the public joining their struggle. "Especially when Khatami's government and his fellow reformers have also turned out to be worthless when it comes to matters that are absolutely their responsibility and in their jurisdiction," says an Iranian activist who was asked to comment on recent events via e-mail. The hottest topic, he says, is the tragedy in the city of Bam where over 40,000 people were killed in an earthquake. Who prevented this government from preparing equipment, buying drugs or preparing alternate living arrangements for the victims?" he asked. "Are Khamenei and his conservatives guilty of that as well?"

These charges are reminiscent of the serious charges Turks leveled at their government after the big earthquake in 1999. According to the Iranian activist, the anger at the government over the fiasco in Bam is so great that people considered reformists said they no longer want to hear about "large reforms, democracy or human rights, when those who speak of these fine values are incapable of saving human lives."

It is possible that these reactions, the students' indifference and the overall disappointment with the reformists created a sense among conservatives that they can cross the accepted lines and make wholesale disqualifications of parliamentary candidates. The conservatives, and especially the spiritual leader, Khamenei, also want to let the world know that only they can carry out genuine reforms, including all foreign policy matters. Khamenei was the one who permitted the signing of an additional protocol of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and even sent his emissary, the head of the National Security Council, Hassan Rowhani, to conduct the negotiations, as opposed to a representative of the Khatami government.

Khamenei is the one who approved changing the name of Khaled Islamabuli Street at Egypt's request and he is the one who approved accepting American aid for the victims of the Bam earthquake.

The question is, will Khamenei also be the one to conduct negotiations to renew ties with the U.S? At the end of the week, Khamenei's ally and fellow conservative, Hassan Rowhani, said in an interview with the French paper, Le Figaro, that ties between Iran and the United States will be renewed one day and the trick will be in choosing the appropriate time. The same Rowhani also said that after the IDF's withdrawal from the Shaba'a Farm there would no longer be any justification for Hezbollah's existence as a military organization. Even Khatami has not voiced such statements.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/385190.html

Mujahedin-e Khalq Plan D.C. Fundraiser

January 21, 2004
The Hill
Sam Dealey

House Administration Chairman Robert Ney (R-Ohio) will ask Attorney General John Ashcroft today to investigate a charity event for ties to an Iranian terrorist group backed by Saddam Hussein.

The event, to be held Saturday at the Washington Convention Center, is billed as a “night of solidarity with Iran.” The organizers, led by the Iranian-American Society of Northern Virginia, hope to raise $140,000 to help survivors of the earthquake in Bam on Dec. 26, which killed 30,000 people.

But a number of sponsoring groups have strong ties to the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), and the fundraiser may violate the prohibition on providing material support for global terrorism.

“I intend to ask the attorney general to investigate this,” said Ney. “The MEK is hiding behind earthquake victims; you’ll find those are false groups. They’re not supposed to operate, and I don’t know what they’re going to do with the money. I just think it smells.”

An MEK representative in Washington did not return repeated calls for comment.

Spokesmen for the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI said they were not aware of Saturday’s event and declined to comment on the sponsor groups.

An official with the Iranian-American Community of Northern Virginia declined to provide any details on the participating groups.

“It’s about solidarity with victims of the earthquake in Iran and to support the Iranian Resistance and call for referendum in Iran,” said the official, who would not give his name.

The Iranian Resistance is a pseudonym for the MEK.

The official said all of the money raised would be donated to the American Red Cross, but the Red Cross has backed out of the event.

“The American Red Cross will not be accepting donations from this fundraiser,” said spokeswoman Jacki Flowers. “Given the political undertones of the event, we just could no longer field donations because of the potential to compromise our neutrality.”

The MEK is an Iranian opposition group formerly based in Baghdad but with a continuing strong presence in the United States, primarily for fundraising and efforts to reverse its terrorist designation, first imposed in 1997.

The U.S. intelligence community alleges the MEK was responsible for the deaths of at least six American servicemen and civilians in Iran during the mid-1970s and actively participated in the 1979 U.S. Embassy seizure in Tehran. Having fallen afoul of Khomeini, in 1986 the group took refuge in Baghdad under Saddam Hussein.

In addition to its periodic hit-and-runs inside Iran, intelligence sources say, the MEK took part in Saddam’s grisly suppression of the Kurdish and Shiite minorities.

Saddam’s backing of the MEK was used as one justification for the Iraq war, and coalition forces viewed the MEK as enemy combatants. Last fall, federal law enforcement raided several MEK-related organizations in the Washington area.

Of the 23 organizations listed as sponsors for the event, 17 are known MEK front groups or linked to prominent MEK members and activists. None appears to be registered with the Internal Revenue Service or state agencies as legitimate businesses or charities.

The MEK has often created fictional philanthropic and social organizations to convey legitimacy. In a 1994 dossier on the group, the State Department noted that “many of these member groups are actually shell organizations, established by the [MEK] in order to make [it] appear representative and … popular.

“Likewise,” the report continued, “the [MEK] has formed associated groups with benign names, such as the ‘Association of Iranian Scholars and Professionals’ and the ‘Association of Iranian Women.’”

Among the groups sponsoring the earthquake benefit is the Association of Iranian Women USA. The group is also known as the Association of Iranian Women, and is headed by Behjat Dehghan, whom intelligence sources have identified as a prominent MEK member in the United States.

Other sponsors of the event that have been identified in media reports as MEK front groups include the Iranian Society of South Florida, the Iranian-American Society of Texas, and the National Committee of Women for a Democratic Iran. Ramesh Sepehrrad spearheads the latter group. Intelligence officials say Sepehrrad is a major MEK organizer in Washington.

A number of the sponsor groups are known to have strong MEK sympathies. They include the Iranian-American Cultural Association of Missouri, Colorado’s Iranian-American Community, the Society of Iranian Americans in Dallas and the Association of Iranian-American Scholars in Southern California.

A website for US for Democracy and Human Rights in Iran, yet another program sponsor, is www.defend-maryam-rajavi.org. Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the MEK, was arrested in Paris last year on terrorism charges. The group’s site was registered to Hamid Azimi, once president of the Southern California Society of Iranian Scholars and Professors, another MEK front group.

A prominent member of US for Democracy and Human Rights in Iran is Saeid Sajadi, who is also known to law enforcement as an MEK member. He is also president of the Iranian-American Solidarity Society of Kansas City and the Society of Iranian-American Medical Professionals. Both groups have strong MEK sympathies; neither is registered as a legitimate professional organization.

At least one group that is not affiliated with the MEK – Loyola University of Chicago — says it was fraudulently listed as a sponsor.

“Absolutely not,” said university spokesman Bud Jones. “In no way does Loyola University of Chicago support this group or the event. That would be totally inaccurate.”

The Iranian-American Society of Northern Virginia would not comment on Loyola’s sponsor status.

Other groups that do not have apparent ties to the MEK but are listed as sponsors are the Justice Matters Institute, the Women’s Institute for Freedom of the Press and the Women’s Freedom Forum. Spokespeople for the groups could not be reached immediately for comment.

La Leche League International, another sponsor, withdrew its support upon learning of the possible MEK ties.

Following the earthquake, the Bush administration temporarily lifted sanctions on donations by Americans to Iran, which is listed as a state sponsor of terrorism.

“This sounds to me like the MEK is trying to feed on and exploit that legitimate concern of Iranian Americans for their own political purposes,” said Ken Timmerman, publisher of the Iran Brief newsletter.

http://www.thehill.com/news/012104/terrorists.aspx

THE CABINET IS SERIOUS ABOUT RESIGNATION

TEHRAN 21 Jan. (IPS)

Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Ali Abtahi said Wednesday that entire government of the beleaguered Mohammad Khatami is ready to resign if the Council of the Guardians did not review its decision to stop reformist candidates to enter the next elections for the Majles.

"Many ministers, vice-presidents and governors have already handed in their resignations, Mr. Abtahi, a vice-president for Parliamentary and Legal Affairs told reporters at the end of a cabinet meeting.

Asked whether Khatami would join them in walking out, he said: "If it is supposed to go, then we shall go all together", implying that the decision would also comprise the President himself.

However, Mr. Khatami, now in Switzerland where he is addressing the World Economic Forum at the posh mountain resort of Davos, has ruled out the government mass resignation, saying he (still) hope that a solution would be find with the Council of the Guardians.

Though Mr. Abtahi did not say which one of the officials have resigned, but according to some reports, at least six ministers have submitted their resignation, in the expectation that in case the next Majles is controlled again by the conservatives, Khatami would be forced to reshuffle his government, introducing new ministers acceptable to new lawmakers.

"All those who have tendered resignation are very serious", Abtahi told journalists, but considering numerous similar threats by reformists in recent years, including Mr. Khatami, few Iranians take the resignation warnings seriously.

Khatami has largely struck a conciliatory stance over the election row, saying he hopes negotiations will yield a satisfactory compromise.

He said a political crisis could still be averted if the Council of the Guardians (CG) followed the advice of the leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneh’i who has urged a thorough revision of the disqualifications.

"The framework set by the leader is very good and can save the country from the crisis", he told reporters after a weekly cabinet meeting, adding that however, until now, we have seen no action from the Guardians".

The 12 members CG, that is controlled by the conservatives, has barred almost half the 8,200 candidates to the next Legislative elections due on 20 February, including 80 incumbent reformist lawmakers, some of them outspoken critics of the ruling conservatives.

According to the CG’s spokesman, the Guardians have so far studied the case of only 200 of the disqualified candidate.

"These methods (of the Guardian Council) can harm the principles of the (Islamic) revolution and democracy and turn the election into a sure thing", Abtahi, a close aide to Khatami, said.

But many Iranian analysts say even if the reformists, both lawmakers and government officials resign, nothing drastic would be changed.

"Not only it is too late for resigning, but it would also be wrong to think that such dramatic action could reconcile the people with the reformists", Mr. Ali Keshtgar, a veteran analyst and Editor of the monthly "Mihan" (Homeland) told Iran Press Service.

In an open letter published Wednesday in the Iran-Emrooz (www.iran-emrooz.de) internet newspaper, the human rights activist Hoseyn Baqerzadeh called on the reformists to "join the people by demanding national referendum for changing the present Constitution.

"The 20 February elections would not be very different from other elections held in Iran. It would be unjust and unfair. The majority of the candidates would have no right to stand and the great majority of Iranians denied the right to elect their candidates freely. Seen from a human rights angle, such elections are condemned in advance and taking part in them is equivalent to confirm violation of human rights principles", he wrote.

"By conciliation and compromises with the ruling power, you (reformists) have lost your political credibility and are no more able to attract the people’s confidence. So, forget the next elections and join the bulk of the people demanding radical changes in the regime’s political structures", Mr. Baqerzadeh added.

ENDS DISQUALIFICATIONS 21104

http://www.iran-press-service.com/articles_2004/Jan_04/iran_disqualifications_21104.htm

MULLAHS DREAM OF EXPORTING THE KHOMEINIST REVOLUTION

by Amir Taheri
Gulf News
January 21, 2004

Together they form the largest bloc in the Iran parliament where, with their allies, they command a two-third majority. So, why are 80 members of the 290-member Islamic Consultative Assembly, the Iranian parliament, behaving like an opposition and threating mass resignation?

The reason is that the next general election, to be held on February 20, could end the parliamentary career of many of them, not because of rejection by voters but because they won't even be allowed to stand.

A couple of months ago Richard Armitage, the number-two at the US State Department described the Iran as "a sort of democracy". Well, he was sort of right if by democracy we mean the holding of regular elections without bothering about their quality and purpose.

In a normal democracy, anyone who does not have a criminal record and meets basic qualifications such as citizenship is allowed to stand for elected office. But this is not the "sort of democracy" that Iran has had since the mullahs seized power in 1979.

In Iran, all candidates must be pre-approved by a body known as the Council of the Guardians of the Constitution, a 12-man, mullah-dominated organ appointed by the "Supreme Guide" and answerable to him. These "guardian angels", as they are known not without irony, can decide who is a good Muslim and who is not. Good Muslims are allowed to stand for elections, and bad Muslims are pushed aside. But even that is not the end of the story.

Good and bad

A man regarded as a good Muslim and allowed to stand as a candidate may be re-classified suddenly as a bad Muslim after the election. In that case "the guardian angels" have the power to cancel the election, kick the newly discovered bad Muslim out of parliament, and even send him to jail. The same man could enter one parliament as a good Muslim but be excluded from the next as a bad one.

The story does not end there either. Even a parliament composed entirely of good Muslims cannot legislate as it deems fit. The "guardian angels" have the power to annul any piece of legislation they do not like. The current crisis started when the Guardian Council rejected the applications of 2004 men and women, among them scores of incumbents, who wished to stand in next month's general election.

By doing so, the "guardian angels" have already determined the shape of the next parliament, making sure that it would be dominated by a new majority. And that has outraged the present majority. But what are the key points of difference between the two sides? The short answer is: not much.

For purposes of simplification, the western media refer to the two sides in Iran as "reformists", supposedly led by President Mohammed Khatami, and "conservatives", whose leader is identified as another mullah, Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Republic's "Supreme Guide".

The terms "reformist" and "conservative", however, mean little, if anything, in the current context of Iranian politics. The supposedly "reformist" bloc has controlled the presidency for the past six years and parliament for the past four years. And yet it has implemented absolutely no reforms of any significance.

Nor has it even proposed such reform. For its part the "conservative" faction bases its ideology not on the need to conserve anything but on the necessity of exporting the Khomeinist revolution first to other Muslim countries and then to the entire world. The so-called "conservatives" have a coherent discourse that one may like or dislike.

Put simply, it runs like this: Islam is the only true faith, all other religions have either been abrogated by God or were man-made concoctions from the start. Today, the only country in the world that has a truly Islamic system is Iran.

It is, therefore, Iran's duty to help replace all other regimes in the Muslim world with truly Islamic ones. Once that has happened, a powerful Islamic bloc should be formed, led by the Iranian "Supreme Guide", to convert the whole of mankind to the Khomeinist version of Islam, if necessary, by war.

In the meantime, no deviation from the established rules should be tolerated inside Iran. Women should cover their heads, and men should grow beards. The "polluting" culture of the west should be kept out. Such ideas as pluralism, democracy and human rights, all inventions of the Jews and the Crusaders, must be kept out of the Dar Al Islam (The House of Islam). Elections should still be held, but only as a periodical re-confirmation of the people's devotion to the system.

The discourse of the so-called "reformists" lacks similar clarity. Khatami, for example, has become a master in the art of ambiguity and double-talk. When addressing the Europeans he talks of reason and science and cites Aristotle and Hegel. But when talking in Iran he claims that women should cover their heads because their hair emanates a dangerous ray that drives men wild.

As far as foreign policy is concerned the "conservative" faction is not suicidal. It knows that it cannot take on the "Zionist-Crusader" bloc, led by the US. It admits that it can never develop friendly ties with the "Zionist-Crusader" bloc but is prepared to accept a period of peaceful coexistence in the name of détente.

The so-called "reformist" faction, however, is bedevilled by its contradictions. It knows that women's hair does not emanate deadly rays. But, at the same time, it opposes the repeal of the law imposing the hated headgear.

The so-called "reformist" faction knows that it is possible to be a Muslim without growing a beard. But its members grow substantial beards and continue to spread the lie that those who shave will end up in Hell. What is happening in Iran today is a power struggle between two factions within the same Khomeinist establishment.

The so-called "reformist" faction is not objecting to the principle of vetoing candidacies by the "guardian angels". It is objecting to the fact that its own members are vetoed.

The so-called "reformist" faction is not calling for a constitutional amendment either to abolish the Council of Guardians or to lift its veto over candidacies. What it really wants is to gain control of the council for itself and use it as a means of preventing its rivals from standing for election.

Fail to understand

What is astonishing is that many in the democratic world still fail to understand the reality of the Iranian situation. The European Union, for example, has just appealed to the "guardian angels" not to veto so many candidacies. The EU is only asking for a reduction in the dose of the poison, and not an end to the poisoning of a nation's political life.

Even if the Council of Guardians allow all the so-called "reformists" to stand as candidates, the forthcoming election would still be far from democratic. The reason is that no one who is not a Khomeinist of one sort or another is allowed to stand for election to anything.

As long as the current constitution remains in force the Iran shall remain, at best, only a "sort of democracy", and, at worst, a tyranny that holds fraudulent elections to confuse the EU and people like Richard Armitage.

Amir Taheri is an Iranian author of 10 books on the Middle East and Islam. He's available through www.benadorassociates.com

http://www.benadorassociates.com/article/1364

Khatami Rules Out Political Talks with U.S.

January 21, 2004
The Associated Press
Alexander G. Higgins and Nicolas B. Tatro

DAVOS, Switzerland -- Iranian President Mohammad Khatami called for dialogue Wednesday as a solution to global conflicts but said he felt there was no chance for political talks with the United States because of a lack of respect for Tehran's Islamic government.

"Partnership and security will only come about as a result of dialogue," Khatami said in his keynote speech at the World Economic Forum that drew warm applause.

At a news conference later, however, he made clear that in relation to the United States, dialogue should start with cultural exchanges.

"The dialogue that I spoke of is between cultures and civilizations, between scholars and wise men," Khatami said. "If those are realized, then we can have political dialogue as well."

"The prerequisite for any kind of dialogue is the mutual respect between the two partners to the dialogue. Any time we sense that the other side respects us and isn't forcing anything on us, we are prepared to talk. We have not sensed that from the United States."

Asked if he would speak with Vice President Dick Cheney, who arrives later this week at the conference of government and business leaders, Khatami said he was speaking of a process that would begin with an exchange of scholars and improved cultural ties.

Khatami predicted there would free elections in Iran next month and indicated that his reform movement would contest the balloting despite threats to resign over attempts by hard-liners to disqualify his allies.

"With the will of God, we will have a good election," Khatami said.

The Iranian president, dressed in a black robe with black turban, said in a veiled reference to the United States that military power had limitations in bringing security.

"Military might may perhaps bring transient security," he said. "But the gap between this type of security is the difference between a security based on armed peace and peace based on compassion and friendship toward humanity."

Khatami laughed when he was asked if he was "afraid" of a hard-line U.S. policy that President Bush claims forced Libya and Iran to back off attempts to develop weapons of mass destruction.

Asked about reports that North Korea had supplied Iran with nuclear weapons technology, he said, "I categorically deny that there were nuclear shipments from North Korea to Iran."

Khatami told a small group of reporters after his news conference that Iranian officials had not had any contacts with Israeli officials following a recent appeal for dialogue by Israeli President Moshe Katzav.

He said he felt there was "no chance for peace in the Middle East" as long as Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his followers were in power.

However, Khatami took a question from an Israeli reporter at the news conference and said that Iran had a "moral issue" with Israel over the occupation of Palestinian land.

He said recognition of Israel would depend on the Palestinian people and "whatever they decide."

Threats to peace and prosperity -- especially in the Middle East -- dominated the discussion as the annual Alpine gathering began.

Before meeting Khatami, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw urged the United Nations to return to Iraq to help resolve a dispute over elections.

He defended the U.S.-led coalition's decision to go to war and lobbied for international support in the postwar rebuilding.

"I am in no doubt that if we had sat on our hands and not acted, the world would be today a much more dangerous place," Straw said.

He said he also would press Khatami on the nuclear issue. An October visit to Tehran by Straw and his French and German counterparts helped broker an agreement on U.N. access to Iran's nuclear sites.

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who took the stage shortly after Khatami, backed his sentiment for dialogue.

"When you care and share -- which is partnership -- then it strengthens the security, it strengthens the stability of that community," he said.

Earlier, Straw expressed hope that U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who is due here Thursday, will support an American and Iraqi request for U.N. experts to assess whether Iraq could hold elections in time for a transitional government to take over July 1.

"If there were to be a re-engagement of the U.N. and early appointment of highly qualified special representative, that could only assist in this process," Straw said.

U.N. foreign staff pulled out of Iraq in October following two bombings at U.N. headquarters in Baghdad, and security remains a concern.

A prominent Iraqi religious leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani, has demanded direct elections but U.S. and Iraqi officials want to use caucuses, saying early elections are not feasible.

Protesters who accuse the forum of being elitist and imperialist tried to stop participants from traveling up the Alps to Davos by blocking access to a main highway at Zurich airport for about half an hour, police said. More demonstrations were planned Saturday, when Cheney is to speak.

Police evacuated part of a hotel in Davos early Wednesday after security services sweeping a room where a forum event was to be held found a firework. The session was held after an hour's delay.

http://iranvajahan.net/cgi-bin/news.pl?l=en&y=2004&m=01&d=21&a=12

US Renews Call for Free and Fair Election in Iran

January 21, 2004
AFP
Yahoo News

WASHINGTON -- The United States renewed its call for next month's parliamentary elections in Iran to be free and fair as the political crisis over the vote between religious conservatives and reformists continued.

"We think it's important that Iran's leadership permit free and fair elections through an electoral process that meets international standards and that government needs to be responsive to the needs of the people," State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said.

"This is an evolving situation and there are a lot of developments every day," he told reporters. "We are watching these events carefully."

His comments came in response to questions about reports from Tehran that several ministers and vice presidents in President Mohammad Khatami (news - web sites)'s reformist government had tendered their resignations to protest the mass disqualification of candidates from the February 20 polls.

Khatami, speaking in Switzerland, has expressed hope the crisis was moving towards settlement and said he did not plan to resign in the showdown.

Iran was plunged into the crisis earlier this month when the conservative Guardians Council, the body that screens all legislation and candidates, disqualified 3,605 of the 8,157 people seeking to stand for the legislature.

Most were reformists and among those blacklisted were prominent figures in Khatami's reform movement and some 83 incumbent MPs.

After Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni ordered the council, all of whose members he directly or indirectly appoints, to be less stringent in its vetting procedure, it reinstated 300 candidates although none were sitting MPs.

Reformists have protested the partial reinstatements as not enough and submitted their resignations, threatening to quit unless the council backs down on what they see as a bid to purge the regime of moderates.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040121/pl_afp/us_iran_vote_040121213912

DoctorZin Note: I hope the State Department means what it says when it calls for "free and fair" elections. Because even if this "crisis" ends soon with the hardliners backing down, there will not be "free and fair" elections in Iran until they stop their practice of vetting the candidates. Currently, only candidates that clearly support the Islamic Regime can even run for office.

Surprise Iranian Witness Delays Verdict in Sept. 11 Trial in Germany

January 21, 2004
Chicago Tribune
John Crewdson and Cam Simpson

WASHINGTON -- On what had been the eve of his widely expected acquittal, the trial of the second person charged by German authorities as an accomplice of the Sept. 11 hijackers was thrown into turmoil Wednesday after prosecutors disclosed the existence of a surprise witness purporting to link Iran to the hijackings.

The mysterious witness, who goes by the name Hamid Reza Zakeri and claims to have been a longtime member of the Iranian intelligence service, is said to have told German investigators that the Sept. 11 plot represented what one termed a "joint venture" between the terrorist group al-Qaida and the Iranian government.

Sources familiar with the witness' story, greeted with pronounced skepticism by some German intelligence officials, say he also implicates the defendant, a 31-year-old former Moroccan student named Abdelghani Mzoudi, as a knowledgeable participant in the hijacking plot.

"If the story was true, the consequences would be remarkable," said one senior intelligence official, who observed that the wittiness' account comes nearly 2 1/2 years after Sept. 11, 2001, and "looks a little bit constructed."

Zakeri is not expected to appear in the high-security Hamburg courtroom Thursday, where officials of the German federal police, the BKA, have been summoned to explain why they believe Zakeri's testimony is credible.

Sabine Westphalen, a spokeswoman for the Higher Regional Court of Hamburg, said the five-judge panel that will decide Mzoudi's fate had received a 30-page transcript of the BKA's interview with Zakeri conducted within the past few days.

Westphalen said the federal prosecutor had asked "to interrupt the hearing of evidence for 30 days in order to be able to examine the data of the witness and its reliability." No verdict is now expected before Jan. 29.

The appeal to the court to consider Zakeri's story amounts to a last-minute move by the chief German prosecutor, Kay Nehm, to preserve the fast-fading possibility of a conviction in what is likely to be the last trial in Germany of an alleged accomplice of the Sept. 11 hijackers.

In the first such trial, which concluded last year, another Moroccan student, Mounir al-Motassadeq, was sentenced to a maximum of 15 years in prison for aiding the Sept. 11 hijackers.

Motassadeq admitted knowing some of the hijackers but denied any foreknowledge of the Sept. 11 plot, in which four airplane hijackings resulted in more than 3,000 deaths. Mzoudi has taken essentially the same stance.

According to the German newsmagazine Der Spiegel, Zakeri reportedly said Mzoudi acted as the hijackers' liaison with their al-Qaida support network.

Until now, the case against Mzoudi has been entirely circumstantial, resting on evidence showing that he performed a number of logistical and "housekeeping" services for the principal hijackers, both before and after they left Hamburg to begin flying lessons in the U.S.

The prosecution's theory, not supported by any direct evidence or testimony, is that Mzoudi must have known why Mohamed Atta and Marwan al-Shehhi, believed to have piloted the two hijacked jets that struck the World Trade Center, had quietly departed northern Germany for Florida.

In December, however, the Hamburg court ordered Mzoudi's release from prison after being informed by the BKA that a confessed Sept. 11 co-conspirator, Ramzi Binalshibh, had told U.S. intelligence agents that those who did know of the hijacking plot had "never talked to others about the true operations or the establishment of a terrorist cell" in Hamburg.

Any credible evidence linking Iran to Sept. 11 would have immediate and profound repercussions for U.S. relations with Iran and the Muslim world. Bush administration officials have included Iran with North Korea and the former Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein in what they term the "axis of evil."

The Tribune reported last year that Shadi Abadallah, a 26-year-old Jordanian who said he served as one of Osama bin Laden's bodyguards in Afghanistan, previously told the BKA that one of the world's most-wanted terrorists, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, described by Secretary of State Colin Powell as an "al-Qaida associate," was closely allied with the Iranian government.

Zarqawi, a one-legged Jordanian national who heads the al-Tawhid terrorist network, which some U.S. officials say is linked to al-Qaida, has been accused by the Bush administration of helping al-Qaida develop plans to attack the West with radioactive and other weapons of mass destruction.

American officials, who say Zarqawi is responsible for the assassination of a U.S. diplomat in Jordan, have placed a $5 million reward on his head.

Kenneth R. Timmerman, a senior writer for Washington-based Insight magazine, said he interviewed Hamid Zakeri during several telephone conversations last summer and that the man "told a very credible story."

Timmerman said he had been able to corroborate a number of the physical details provided by Zakeri concerning such things as the physical layout of the Tehran headquarters of the Iranian Ministry of Information and Security, or MOIS.

According to an article Timmerman published in July, Zakeri said that he worked for the Iranians' "supreme leader," Ayatollah Ali Khameini, and that he was present at two meetings between senior Iranian and al-Qaida officials in the months before Sept. 11.

Timmerman said Zakeri had provided him a document purportedly signed by the Iranian intelligence chief, Hojjatoleslam Ali Akbar Nateq-Nouri, in May of 2001, ordering a strike at this country's "economic structure, their [sic] reputation and their internal peace and security."

Because the Mzoudi case is still before the German court, the CIA declined to comment.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/politics/7765063.htm