BRIEF ON IRAN No. 528 Tuesday, October 29, 1996 Representative Office of The National Council of Resistance of Iran Washington, DC Salman Rushdie Urges Economic Pressure on Iran, Reuters, Ocotber 28 VIENNA - British author Salman Rushdie called on Monday for European countries to ostracize Iran for refusing to withdraw a seven-year-old death edict against him. "I think there have to be economic measures certainly and it has to be shown to the Iranians that they will suffer if they continue to threaten the lives of European citizens," he told reporters on a clandestine visit [to Vienna].... "I think it would be absurd and a defeat to wait for permission from some kind of despot in the Middle East to tell you if you can do things," he said.... No Sign of Success for Critical Dialogue, U.S. Says, Excerpts from U.S. Department of State, Daily Press Briefing, Ocotber 25 Q: ... there's a story quoting Secretary Pelletreau in Dubai saying that the United States wants to open a dialogue with the Government of Iran. Is that now stated U.S. policy? MR. BURNS: I think it's important when papers report on issues like this that they provide some context. Ambassador Pelletreau was in Dubai speaking to an American business group there. He essentially just reaffirmed long-held U.S. policy, which is that -- and there's been no change in U.S. policy, and he was not enunciating a change -- which has been that the United States is prepared to engage in a diplomatic dialogue with the Government of Iran. Should we engage in such a dialogue -- start one; should we have talks -- we would raise Iran's support for Middle East terrorist groups; Iran's intentions to acquire a nuclear weapons capability; all the other objectionable Iranian behavior, including opposition to the Middle East peace process.... Q: How does this policy of being willing to open an dialogue differ from the European Union policy of "crucial dialogue with them?" MR. BURNS: ... We don't think that there has been a shred of evidence produced that the critical dialogue has succeeded in any respect. That's why we maintain our difference in our policy and our resolute opposition to the current practices of the Iranian Government. U.S - Iran Diplomatic Relations Unlikely, Associated Press, Ocotber 28 TEHRAN - Diplomatic relations between the United States and Iran are not likely anytime soon, a top Iranian official said Monday. "As long as the U.S. adopts oppressive and hegemonic policies in dealing with other countries, the Islamic Republic of Iran cannot establish meaningful ties with the United States," Hojjatoleslam Mohammed Reyshahri told the Tehran Times.... Germany Extradites Mullahs' Terrorist to France, Radio France Internationale, October 24 German judicial officials extradited Ahmad Jeyhouni, indicted for the assassination of an Iranian, Reza Mazlouman, to France. According to informed sources, the anti-terrorist judge, Jean-Louis Bruguiere, will interrogate Ahmad Jeyhouni tomorrow. Mazlouman, a former Deputy Minister of Education, was killed by three bullets on May 28 in his house in the suburb of Paris. Two days later, Jeyhouni was arrested in Germany as a suspect. Iranian Government Cuts Off Fingers, Agence France Presse, October 27 On Sunday, the daily Jomhouri Isalmi reported that the right hand fingers of two burglars who had committed rubbery for a second time were cut off. The daily said that Jafar Afzali and Jafar Pendarian, indicted for various rubberies in [south western cities of] Ahwaz and Shoosh were punished. A third burglar is waiting for his sentencing. According to the new punitive law which has been in effect since last July, burglars will be sentenced to death or amputation of fingers or toes... Mullahs' Deterministic Presidential Elections, Iran Zamin News Agency, October 27 Rafsanjani's faction finally decided to introduce the current speaker of parliament, Ali Akbar Nateq Nouri, as its nominee for presidential elections. Following this announcement by the Association of Combatant Clerics, Mir Housein Mousavi, former prime minister, said that he will not enter the presidential race. Meanwhile, the faction led by the regime's top leader, Ali Khamenei, has long announced that for the next 30 to 40 years the president must be a cleric.