BRIEF ON IRAN No. 518 Tuesday, October 15, 1996 Representative Office of The National Council of Resistance of Iran 3421 M Street NW #1032 Washington, DC 20007 Mullahs' New Offensive on Northern Iraq, The Washington Post, October 14 An Iraqi Kurdish faction said to be receiving help from Iran recaptured a major city from a rival group.... In an interview from Washington, a Barzani spokesman claimed that the Patriotic Union was supported in its offensive by Iranian Revolutionary Guards, who pounded border villages with artillery and, on Saturday night, accompanied Talabani's forces into Sulaymaniyah... Zebari, the Democratic Party spokesman in Washington, accused Iran of trying to scuttle scheduled talks between the State Department and a delegation of party leaders due to arrive shortly in the United States... Zebari said the latest offensive began Thursday, when Iranian Revolutionary Guards fired artillery barrages into the border area in preparation for the assault on Sulaymaniyah... U.S. diplomatic sources said it is unclear to what degree Iran is supporting the Patriotic Union.... [In a related development, Agence France Presse, on Sunday reported that "Mr. Rajavi, the President of NCR condemned this aggression by the mullahs' religious, terrorist dictatorship on the Iraqi Kurdistan."] Tehran's Cultural Offensive in Bosnia, The Washington Times, October 13 SARAJEVO - Near the ornate marble entranceway to Iran's new cultural center, movie posters of Fred Filinstone and Sylvester Stallone compete with a display of poetry by the late Ayatollah Khomeini.... With the war over, Iran is nurturing its cordial relations with Sarajevo in new ways... In addition to extending $50 million in reconstruction credits and giving assurance of continued military backing, Iran is helping to rebuild mosques across Muslim controlled Bosnia.... Iranian Boat Collides with U.S. Ship, Associated Press, October 13 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - An Iranian patrol boat bumped into the guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg in the Persian Gulf on Sunday, slightly damaging the American vessel, a naval spokesman said.... It was not clear whether the Iranian patrol boat - the 275-foot Bayandor - was damaged in the collision with the 567-foot Gettysburg. After the collision, the Iranian vessel steamed off without lingering.... Overview Mullahs' Extensive Military Aggression on Iraqi Kurdistan The following is excerpts from a report by the Mojahedin's Command Headquarters inside Iran, October 14 The mullahs suffered a defeat last month as the bases of its agents in the Iraqi Kurdistan, where they plotted terrorist and espionage operations, were demolished in northern Iraq. To compensate for this blow, the mullahs readily began preparations to resume their aggressions on the Iraqi Kurdistan.... Since the beginning of October, the Khomeini regime began its extensive military transportation towards the border. Concentration of the troops took place at Nasr garrison in Naqadeh, Sardasht region, near the border with Iraq. Movement of troops and equipment also took place north of Qasr-e Shirin, by the Iraqi border, on October 3. The forces hired from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan were simultaneously transferred to this region. Supply of arms and equipment was undertaken by the Command HQ of Ramadan garrison in Tehran... On the 9, 10 and 11th of October, the regime began its extensive aggression on five axes. 1. Sardasht, south of Qal'eh Dizeh, towards the lower Zab river. Mesgarian commanded the Guards Corps troops. 2. Baneh, Chouman, Chuarta towards Qala Chualan and Suleymania. Hanif, one of the GC commanders from Hamzeh garrison, commanded the troops. 3. Marivan, Bashmaq towards Panjvin. Troops from Nasr garrison were commanded by GC commander Ebadi. 4. Sheikh Selleh, Poshteh, Sartak, towards Maydan and Darbandikhan. Troops from Kermanshah's Zafar garrison were commanded by GC commander Farhadi. 5. Dasht-e Zahab, Qeitool towards Maydan, Kelar and Kefri. Fourth Brigade of the Fourth Bessat Division participated... The Guards Corps made extensive use of heavy artillery and multiple rocket launchers. GC commander Karami, commander of the Ramadan garrison, and commanders Mesgarian, Hanif and a number of other Guards Corps commanders are also present in the Iraqi Kurdistan... The mullahs' General Staff of Armed Forces led the operations from Tehran under the direct supervision of Khamenei [the regime's leader]...