BRIEF ON IRAN Representative Office of The National Council of Resistance of Iran No. 486 Wednesday, August 28, 1996 3421 M Street NW #1032, Washington, DC 20007 Trading with Terrorists, The Wall Street Journal, Editorial, August 27 How is it that nasty dictatorships such as Libya and Iran seem to have so little trouble finding German businessmen willing to sell them equipment for their nefarious projects? While Bonn has protested that its laws and enforcement can't be faulted, there are many who doubt Germany is doing all it can to thwart dealings with noted terrorists.... ...Germany insists that the policy [of critical dialogue with Iran] is the best way to moderate extremist tendencies in Iran and project Western influence. The fact that Germany is Iran's leading trading partner —and that Tehran currently owes about 13 billion marks ($8.8 billion) to German businesses— undoubtedly makes this argument persuasive in Bonn. But the result? "Critical dialogue," by any standard, has been a huge flop. Absent better mullahs, Bonn can hardly portray its policies as if they were contributing to world peace.... Stopping the Music, The New York Times, A. M. Rosenthal, August 27 The Democratic and Republican Presidential candidates, and their party platform- writers, all have touched on international terrorism. They come right out and say they are against it. But, not to be picky, that's not good enough.... We are dancing to a suicidal rhythm. Terrorists attack, the West investigates; they attack, we investigate; attack, investigate. Waltz us around again as the years go by, dance us in the skies over Lockerbie, to the World Trade Center, to the American barracks in Saudi Arabia, to the Jewish center in Buenos Aires, perhaps to Long Island, maybe someplace else, dance with tears in our eyes. Or is that just spit from friendly countries we have asked not to invest in Iran? What to do? Why, stop the music and then: Enforce laws about freezing terrorists' treasuries and fund-raising in America.... Publicly inform countries sheltering the terrorists' big money men that their safe houses are now very unsafe. Privately tell our allies how we can retaliate economically and diplomatically if they insist on building up Iran... Mullahs to Launch Satellite in 3 Years with Russia's Assistance, Associated Press, August 27 Russia has agreed to help Iran build and launch its first space satellite in the next three years, a newspaper reported Tuesday. "Iran and Russia have signed an agreement, according to which the technology to build a satellite will be transferred to Iran in three stages," Mehdi Safari, Iran's ambassador in Moscow, told the Iran daily newspaper in a report published Tuesday. Safari gave no details about the satellite's type or purpose.... Russia last year ignored U.S. objections and began work on a 1,000-megawatt nuclear power station, Iran's first, near the port city of Bushehr. U.S. and Israeli officials claim Iran wants to use the plant to build nuclear weapons.... [Reuters reported on Tuesday that: "Safari also said a daily cargo flight would begin between the cities of Tabriz and Moscow next month. The ambassador said a cargo bureau would be established in Moscow to handle the purchase of equipment needed by the oil industry and for the design and construction of oil platforms."] Purchase of Aircraft from France, Tehran State-run TV, August 25 The naval-air system of our country is equipped with 12 advanced educational aircraft. Recently, eight TB21 and four XL200 planes, for a total of 12 aircraft, that were purchased from France were delivered to our country.... The aircraft is one of the most advanced educational planes which are equipped with advanced naval systems. The head of Aviation Organization says that... basically, we have been able to obtain whatever equipment that we did not have and was necessary in today's world.... U.S. Aide Rejects Iran Charge on Kurdish Clashes, Reuters, August 27 A senior U.S. official on Tuesday rejected an Iranian charge that the United States was stirring conflict among Kurds in northern Iraq to counter Iran's influence. "We are there to try to bring about the reconciliation of the parties," said the official, who asked not to be identified. He said the United States had no interest in creating problems in the area "and it's manifest to anybody who's familiar with the issues."... Turkey Arrests Iranian Asylum-seeker, Iran Zamin News Agency, August 25 On Tuesday, August 20, an Iranian asylum- seeker in Ankara was arrested and is likely to be deported to Iran. The NCR issued a statement and condemned the arrest of the asylum-seeker and appealed to international human rights organizations, particularly the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, to secure his release...