BRIEF ON IRAN No. 439 Friday June 21, 1996 Representative Office of The National Council of Resistance of Iran 3421 M Street NW #1032 Washington, DC 20007 On U.S. Action Against Investment in Iran, The New York Times, June 20 The House of Representatives unanimously passed harsh economic sanctions against foreign companies that invest in Iran, widening the split between the United States and its allies over the use of American economic power to force other nations to isolate rogue states. The White House has already said President Clinton is likely to sign the legislation.... ... Seeking to deflect criticism from abroad, Administration officials took the offensive, arguing that only the United States has shown the courage to use its economic power against terrorist states. “You know, when the G-7 meets we all agree that these issues about terrorism are important, and we all ought to do something,” Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin said in his office... “And then we are the only ones who do anything.” At the State Department, Nicholas Burns, the spokesman, said: “We think it’s very important to isolate Iran economically. And here we have a difference of opinion with some of our allies in Europe, because of Iran’s intention to build a nuclear weapons capability. And we are convinced that that is what Iran intends to do.”... But in Congress and within the White House, the predominant view is that Europe invited this action by failing to face up to evidence that Iran is still sponsoring terrorism and seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. Iran Appears More Isolated by U.S., Gulf Neighbors, Reuters, June 19 DUBAI — Iran appears more isolated by U.S. economic pressure and unprecedented public accusations by its Arab neighbors, long suspicious of its Islamic revolution.... Western diplomats say a war of words between Iran and its Gulf Arab neighbors as well as U.S. and European accusations it was sponsoring terrorism and trying to sabotage the Middle East peace process were heightening tension in the volatile region.... "We are concerned about any Iranian attempts to destabilize the Gulf and this has been a long-standing matter," one Western diplomat said. "We know Iran is behind attempts to disrupt the peace process." "Iran keeps saying it wants normal relations with the West. We say these are our objections. You want normal relations, then address these objections," another Western diplomat said.... "The Gulf states never wanted confrontation with Iran even when warned Iran is a threat. They constantly said 'We have to live with Iran. It is our neighbor'," one diplomat said. "But now they seem to have had enough." The GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] states earlier this month, in the first such strong statement since Iran's revolution in 1979, said the Islamic republic was interfering in their internal affairs and threatening the security of the region by its arms purchases.... Disappearance of Prisoners, Weekly Iran Zamin News Agency, June 17 According to the reports from the supporters of Resistance inside Iran, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, a staff of 2nd district of municipally of the western city of Hamedan was sentenced to six months imprisonment for confronting the regime’s agents. But his whereabouts are unknown since his arrest and the persistence of his family to find any trace of him has produced no result. Based on a similar report from Tehran, some of the prisoners who have completed their sentences have suddenly disappeared after being freed from prisons. For example, Ali Abdi, who was freed after 10 years disappeared four months after his release. The regime’s authorities had no response to his family’s inquiries. But people blame the government for all kidnappings. The sister of this prisoner who was a supporter of the Resistance was killed by the government. OnNewsLine · Weekly Iran Zamin News Agency, June 17 - Daily Kayhan on June 5 reported that “A group of students from School of Medicine in Tehran University, signing a petition, called for action against individuals with inappropriate appearance and veiling.” · Weekly Iran Zamin, June 20 An Iranian asylum-seeker who was concerned about his status in the Netherlands, attempted suicide. He was about to throw himself from the ninth floor of a building when the director of refugees’ camp in city of Leidschendam intervened and convinced him to change his mind.