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.
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