The Iranian

 

email us

US Transcom
US Transcom

Sehaty Foreign Exchange

    News & views

Khatami Warns Iran Hard-Liners

By Anwar Faruqi Associated Press
Writer Wednesday, July 21, 1999

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Supporters of Iranian President Mohammad Khatami today warned his critics in the military that they could lose support by challenging the moderate leader.

The president's allies made the statement after senior military officers said their patience with his democratic agenda was running thin.

The Participation Front, a party of Khatami's staunchest supporters, reminded Revolutionary Guards commanders who signed the letter that Khatami received 20.7 million votes -- out of 29.7 million votes cast in the 1997 elections.

If the commanders ``line up against such a large segment of the nation, you will undermine your own public support,'' the group said in a statement published today in several newspapers.

Iranian hard-liners have been trying to rebuild their power in the aftermath of recent pro-democracy protests by threatening, intimidating and arresting Khatami supporters.

In their letter, published Monday by two hard-line newspapers, the military commanders blamed Khatami for the protests, Iran's worst unrest in 20 years. The letter was dated July 12, the peak of six days of pro-democracy unrest.

The demonstrations were triggered by the hard-line closure of a reformist daily and intensified after a violent police raid on a Tehran University dormitory.

The hard-liners quelled the unrest with police force, banned further protests and staged a massive rally of their own supporters July 14.

Links


Copyright ©Abadan Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. May not be duplicated or distributed in any form

 MIS Internet Services

Web Site Design by
Multimedia Internet Services, Inc

 GPG Internet server

Internet server by
Global Publishing Group.