BRIEF ON IRAN	 
	Representative Office of 
	The National Council of Resistance of Iran
	No. 516	
	Thursday, October 10, 1996 
 
 
3421 M Street NW #1032, Washington, DC 20007



Mullahs Arms Purchase from Switzerland, Corriere 
Della Sera, October 6 
 
	A few weeks ago, an Iranian delegation 
had a secret mission in the Switzerland to purchase 
military armaments from Oerlikon company. 
	The Iranian agents discussed obtaining 
necessary technologies for production of various 
arms. This is not the first time that leaders of the 
Khomeini regime make such requests from the 
Swiss company, which they believe is the best. 
Tehran had previously asked Oerlikon for its 
cooperation in enhancing its air defense in the 
Persian Gulf region and the islands, controlled by 
the Revolutionary Guards, which overlook the oil 
passage. 
	The Iranians have shown a special interest 
in obtaining the know how for manufacturing arms. 
After the last meeting, the Swiss company 
announced its readiness to provide the necessary 
material to Tehran and training Iranian personnel. 
	The Ayatollahs highly value such Swiss 
products and consider themselves the best Middle 
Eastern allies of Switzerland. 
	Outside sources informed our newspaper 
that the Lebanese Hizbollah has recently received 
arms from Tehran which are advanced and 
equipped with anti-aircraft batteries built by 
Oerlikon. These fighters ... have recently received 
35 mm Contraves Skyguard ADS and Oerlikon 
Bhurle GDF 002 parts. 
	It is not without reason that Tehran has 
knocked on the Switzerland's industry door: beside 
effectiveness of the arms, Switzerland —contrary to 
other countries— has very little control over its 
arms exports. The government officials do not 
scrutinize the exports and usually turns a blind eye 
in such cases.  
 
 
Weapons of Mass-Destruction for Mullahs, Iran 
Zamin News Agency, October 8 
 
	A powerful mullah called for procuring 
weapons of mass-destruction by the Tehran regime. 
	Ali Meshkini, the head of Assembly of 
Experts, which oversees Majlis activities with veto 
power over its resolutions, said manufacturing 
weapons of mass-destruction is a sacrilegious act, 
however, if someone has manufactured this 
sacrilegious weapon, then it is your duty to make a 
better one. 
	Addressing the Revolutionary Guards and 
Basij para-military forces, Meshkini said "you have 
to procure all the weaponry and ammunitions that 
your enemies have." Meshkini also disclosed that 
currently the military forces "under the command of 
Khamenei" are engaged in carrying out this duty. 
 
 
Iran Chops Fingers Of Two Thieves, Reuters, 
October 9 
 
	TEHRAN — Two convicted thieves were 
punished by having their fingers cut off in public in 
northern Iran, a newspaper said on Wednesday. 
	The daily Resalat said the amputations 
were carried out in a square in the Caspian Sea port 
city of Babol after the Supreme Court upheld the 
sentences passed by a lower court against the two 
convicted thieves. 
	In line with Iran's Islamic penal code, the 
four fingers of their right hands were cut off, 
leaving only the thumb, it added. 
 
 
Rafsanjani Not To Run Again, Iran Zamin News 
Agency, October 9 
 
	After Ali Khamenei, the regime's spiritual 
leader, said he would not allow the constitution to 
be modified in order to allow Rafsanjani to continue 
as President for a third term, Hashemi Rafsanjani 
announced that he also opposed amending the 
constitution. 
	In a meeting with Friday prayer leaders, 
Rafsanjani, whose second four-year term expires 
next July, said changing the constitution is not in 
the interest of the country. However, he said that he 
does not intend to refrain from what he called 
"serving Islam." This is an indication that 
Refsanjani is announcing his readiness to confront 
other factions of the regime and said that in order to 
stay active, he is even ready to accept any 
provincial governorship anywhere in the country. 
	 
 
Housing Problems, Iran Zamin News Agency, 
October 9 
 
	The state-run Tehran radio said that about 
1.5 million families in Iran have housing 
difficulties. 
	The radio acknowledged that housing and 
rental rate increases put an enormous amount of 
pressure on low-income families. Currently, about 
25 million people are homeless in Iran which has a 
population of 70 million. 
	According to Tehran radio, the housing 
situation has severely deteriorated since the 
implementation of Rafsanjani's so called first five-
year economic plan.