BRIEF ON IRAN No. 414 Thursday, May 16, 1996 Representative Office of The National Council of Resistance of Iran 3421 M Street NW #1032 Washington, DC 20007 Iranian Exiles Say They Foil Bid on Leader's Life, Reuters, May 15 An Iranian exile group in Iraq said on Wednesday Iranian authorities masterminded a recent attempt to assassinate its leader in Baghdad. The Mujahideed Khalq said agents of Iran's intelligence ministry penetrated close to its fortress-like office in Baghdad and were ready to execute their plan when Iraqi detectives swooped on their house. "One (Iranian) agent was killed and another injured in storming their base," Hassan Nizam-al-Molki, the Mujahideen's spokesman, said.... Molki showed Western reporters a mortar launcher which he said had with it delayed-action mortar shells capable of leveling a two-story building. He also displayed several Katyusha rockets which he said the "terrorists" had mounted on a jeep as well as explosive charges powerful enough to "destroy a bridge."... Widespread Fraud Under Mullahs, Reuters, May 15 TEHRAN - A parliament committee investigating Iran's state-owned banks and companies said on Wednesday it had uncovered more than 200 fraud cases at the country's largest commercial bank.... The daily Kayhan on Wednesday reported the arrest of a mayor in southwestern Ilam province on embezzlement charges. Earlier press reports said the mayor of a Tehran district was being tried on mismanagement of funds and morals charges. In the biggest fraud case in Iran's history, an Iranian businessman was executed in November after a court found him guilty of defrauding Saderat Bank of $21.7 million. [The government-controlled daily Salam reported on Tuesday that the executive director of the state-run National Steel Company of Iran is arrested. The paper wrote that the reason for the official's arrest is receiving large-scale bribes and illegal exporting of a great amount of currency.] "Consumer Advocate Council", Mullah-Style, Radio Israel, May 14 In a new step, the Islamic government's Supreme Council of Economics increased the price of cooking oil, beef, cane-sugar and sugar. The experience has shown that the decision will give retailers an excuse to further increase their prices. According to the economic council's decision, the price of vegetable oil with coupons is increased 500% and the price of sugar and cane-sugar is increased up to 300%. The daily Salam ... reported that the Supreme Council of Economics, whose number one goal is to support the consumers, ... has also increased the price of beef significantly, and a kilo of beef will now reach the consumer at 1,000 rials a kilo, up from 770 rials a kilo. According to the council's decision, each family can buy beef with coupons only three times per year. Short News * Iran Zamin News Agency, May 15, Following protests by the presidents of Uzbekistan and Tadjikistan, the summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization was ended one day ahead of schedule. During the summit, Rafsanjani spoke against the Mideast peace process. * Agence France Presse, May 14, On Tuesday, Shimon Peres accused Iran of being behind a series of assassination plots inside Israel to influence the results of May 29th general elections. * Jomhouri-e Eslami, May 1, The Revolutionary Guards General Mohammad Derakhshan is appointed by the Physical Education Organization director to head the Judo Federation. Mokhtar Kalantari, commander of Revolutionary Guards Boroujen division is appointed to head the Tae-kwon-do Federation. * Radio Israel, May 14, The Egyptian weekly Rowz al- Yousef asked the Arab countries to take steadfast actions for reducing the negative influence of Islamic government of Iran in the Middle East peace process.