BRIEF ON IRAN
No. 360
Friday, March 1, 1996

Representative Office of
The National Council of Resistance of Iran
3421 M Street NW #1032
Washington, DC 20007


Three Terrorists Involved in Istanbul Assassination Identified,
Reuters, February 29

        PARIS - An Iranian opposition group said on Thursday it had
identified an Iranian diplomat based in Turkey and two other agents
as being involved in the murder of two dissidents in Istanbul last
week.
        "...The National Council of Resistance of Iran identified three of
the terrorists involved in the assassination of Mrs. Zahra Rajabi and
Mr. Ali Moradi," the exiled group said in a statement issued in Paris....
        It said the agent, whose duties included monitoring Iranian
exiles in Turkey, had been following Moradi and surveying the
apartment where the pair were staying....
        Authorities said Rajabi and Moradi were shot dead in a flat they
were sharing in the Aksaray district of Istanbul on February 20.
        The Paris group also provided what it said were names and
details of travel documents used by Iranian intelligence to infiltrate
two other agents into Turkey...
        Turkish police last November arrested an Islamist hit man
wanted for the killing of Mujahideen Khalq member Ali Akbar
Ghorbani and Abbas Qolizadeh, a supporter of the late Iranian shah....


Va'ezi's Visit Canceled, Iran Zamin News Agency, February 28

        According to the Italian news agency, Kronous, the announced
talks between Tehran and Italian head of European Union... was
canceled.
        ... It was mentioned that the talks were supposed to take place
between the deputy foreign minister of Iran, Va'ezi,  and  Italian
Secretary of State as well as Italian President...
        The Iranian foreign ministry and its embassy in Rome claimed
that the reason for postponing the visit, was Va'ezi's trip with Velayati
to Tajikstan.  The Italian foreign ministry, however, is speaking of
cancellation of the visit....
        According to the news agency, postponing this trip, was,
expectedly, welcomed by the representatives of the National Council of
Resistance of Iran...


On the Eve of Mullahs' Parliamentary(!?) Elections, Financial Time,
February 28

The following is excerpts from an article on the upcoming elections in
Iran that portrays the plight of Iranian people and the circumstances
in which the so called candidates are selected by the clerics rule.

        ... All candidates for the elections to the 270-seat majlis have to
satisfy the state Supervisory Council, a body composed from the
Council of Guardians and partly from interior ministry officials, that
they are committed to all the features of the Islamic republic....
        Voter dissatisfaction is dominated by inflation and the increasing
difficulty of "making ends meet."  State ideology, totally dominated by
the clergy, is not called into question, but the ability of clergy to
modernize the economy is very much in doubt....
        Inflation last year is officially put at 54 per cent, whereas the
annual increase for an average public sector salary... is pegged at 20
per cent.
        Much of the inflation is being felt in soaring rents and rising
prices of basic household and consumer durables.  The price of a car
tire, for instance, has risen 17 times since 1989.  Even foodstuffs, such
as rice, bread, cooking oil and sugar, as well as gasoline, which are
heavily subsidized, have risen sharply.  The price of rice, for instance,
has risen four times since 1989....
        The complexity of political equation is made more opaque by the
influence and views of... Ayatollah Ali Khamenei...
        "The only political philosophy," said one businessman, "is Islamic.
It covers everything - and nothing.  In terms of economic
development, no one knows what the 'Islamic' label means."...


U.S. Says Iran Wants to Steal Nuke Arms Capability, Reuters, February
29

        PARIS - The United States believes Iran is trying to steal its way
into the club of nations that have nuclear weapons, U.S.
Undersecretary of State Lynn Davis said on Thursday.
        "We have reason to believe that Iranians are looking, are out in
the world, trying to see whether they can find (the materials they
need to produce nuclear arms)" Davis said....
        Washington has long accused Tehran of seeking to develop
nuclear weapons but has not previously openly said that Iran was
attempting to steal what it needs to produce them.
        ... Germany's BND secret service head Konrad Porzner told a
parliamentary committee last month that his agency had proof Iran as
well as Iraq were trying through intermediaries to buy nuclear
materials on the black market....